


Tu B’Av

by TheAnesthesia



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-21 18:54:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9562187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnesthesia/pseuds/TheAnesthesia
Summary: Angela is fed up with a certain ninja that doesn't seem to take the hint that she isn't interested. The rest of the Overwatch team however is insistent that she give him a chance, everyone except her oldest friend: Fareeha Amari.





	1. The First Step

Lying on one of the medical cots, the blonde haired doctor pinched the bridge of her nose as she hid away from the rest of her teammates. Any other day Angela would have left the sickbay door open when she wasn’t testing or with a patient, today however left the woman feeling reclusive and drained. Genji, the youngest of the Shimada brothers was once again bothering her with his incessant distractions. Perhaps at first the gestures were sweet in there own right but Angela had quickly grown frustrated with the man and his advances.

“It’s so exhausting,” agitation laced the Swiss doctor’s voice as she spoke out into the darkness, various medical equipment hummed from the shadows lighting up the inky pitch with flickering hues of blues and reds that lingered only for a few moments then disappeared into obscurity once more. The rhythmic blinking was somewhat comforting in its familiarity, the same machinery day in and out working nonstop without complaint to perform a basic task that most took for granted. “That man is honestly so irksome, I can’t even take my naps in peace anymore.” The comment came out low in tenor, a breathy growl of sorts. Suddenly the automated door next to her slid open with a metallic hiss. A dusty light washed over the blonde leaving her squinting upwards towards the figure in the doorway, agitation clawed the insides of Angela’s chest making the woman bolt upright from her resting position. 

“A little jumpy there Angela?” Chuckled a cool, feminine voice. In a single motion the woman in the doorway brought a forefinger against the light switch on the wall and flicked the overhead halogens to life while taking several paces into the room. “I brought you some lunch,” Fareeha Amari stated while holding up a tray with two plates on it. “I thought you would still be asleep though.” A crooked smile eased its way across the Egyptian’s face as she flopped down on the same cot as the older woman, curry sloshed along the surface of the platter and mixed with the side of fruits and naan that littered the sectioned portion divides. Neither of the two cared if their food touched yet having soggy bread wasn’t the most enjoyable experience, immediately Fareeha prodded her fingers into the food trying to salvage the oven-baked flatbread only to receive a playful swat on her knee from the blonde. 

“You can touch your own, stop playing with mine. Honestly you’re still such a child,” a giggle escaped Angela and she relaxed. Thin shoulders sagged under the invisible weight that the doctor carried but the smile that fasten itself in place was genuine. “A big child.” Angela punctuated each word in the sentence with jovial diction as she nudged the taller of the pair teasingly with her shoulder. 

“Pffft, you know you adore me.” Coolly retorted the dark-haired woman with a slightly impish grin, Angela couldn’t help but roll her eyes and snort, she had known Fareeha since she was twelve years old and found it amusing to think that other Overwatch members found the ex-military captain intimidating and frighteningly stoic; in reality Fareeha was a softy underneath all the figurative and literal armor she wore. She doubted anyone besides Ana would believe her if she said that though. 

A small hand reached over and took one of the two offered plates while the blonde readjusted herself on the cot; willowy legs folded across each other until she sat neatly upright cradling her food on the edge of her knee. “True, though it doesn’t make you any less of a child or a brat for that matter,” Angela paused for a moment while she mixed her rice and curry together with a spoon. “Thank you though, for bringing me lunch. I’ve been distracted lately.” The disdain in Angela’s voice made Fareeha shift where she sat, the edges of the Egyptian woman’s lips tugged into a deep set sneer. 

“I don’t see why you just don’t tell him off.” Fareeha all but growled. Honey brown eyes shone with intensity as she held her gaze with that of the medic for just a moment too long.

“You think I haven’t,” the doctor was curt in her reply. “Trust me I’ve told him no in every possible way imaginable and now Reinhardt and everyone else is in his corner. ‘Give him a shot, Angela,’ ‘How will you know he isn’t your type if you don’t at least go on one date with him.’ It’s enough to make me sick Fareeha, you’re the only one I can count on. Everyone else is team Shimada, it’s like I don’t even get a say in this whole fuc--,” a hiss escaped the blonde as she bit back the harshness of her chosen words then pinched the bridge of her nose while squeezing her eyes shut. “In this whole matter.” 

A heavily muscled shoulder tensed, it wasn’t like Angela to swear; even when they were in the heat of battle the Swiss doctor kept herself collected and professional. This wasn’t like her and that worried Fareeha far more than she cared to admit. “They don’t get a say in who you date. It’s your choice. Honestly though,” Fareeha took a moment to lift some of her curry to her mouth and chew before continuing her line of thought. “I don’t think he even really has feelings for you, it’s more like he---” 

“Is enamored by the idea of me, ja. I think the same thing. I saved him and now he has misconstrued his emotions of gratitude into something else.” A sigh tumbled away from Angela’s lips as she glanced back down at her food and pushed at the chunk of lamb nestled with cluster of onions. 

“The boy can’t even pronounce your name correctly. I can’t believe he won’t leave you alone. Do you want me to talk to him for you?” The offer hung in the air for a few moments as Angela chewed on the inside of her cheek debating the proposition. On one hand having someone else tell Genji his advances were unwanted might just be what he needed to fully understand that he needed to stop pursuing the topic however having Fareeha handle the situation didn’t set well; there was something about having the Egyptian wall of muscle come to her rescue that made her feel that Genji would react poorly. 

“That boy is two years older than you,” Angela pointed out with a hint of amusement in her bell-like tenor. “And hopefully it won’t come to that, but if it does I will let you know when you can let him have it.” A long moment passed between the two women as they sat side by side eating their meals. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable like it was for some, there was understanding in the lack of words, just the process of being in the same room as each other sated the need for interaction and for that Angela was grateful. 

“Well,” Fareeha began, the gruffness of her voice betrayed the collected expression of her face as she stood from the cot. “I’ve got some things to take care of. Later Mother wants me to workout with her. Probably just wants to embarrass me in front of Aleksandra if I know her. If you are feeling up to it maybe you can join us, if not you should try to catch that nap you owe yourself.” Sun-kissed skin darkened by just a few shades, if it hadn’t been for the garishly bright overheads Angela might have missed the small detail however the ruddy color didn’t go unnoticed and instead made the blonde burst out laughing. 

“Still the same shy, kleine Fareeha, embarrassed to ask me to come play with you. Simply adorable liebling. No need to worry though,” Angela affirmed with a smile, clasping her hands together as she spoke. “I’ll join you. But first I need to finish up some paperwork and have a talk with Miss Vaswani about her prosthesis.” Fareeha simply made a noise of approval before moving towards the exit. 

Two fingers tapped a dark, heavy brow in a lazy salute of sorts as the captain turned towards the door. “See you then.” Fareeha called over her shoulder then disappeared when the door slide shut behind her.

And once again Angela found herself alone but in much better spirits than she had been previously. The food helped considerably as did the company. Easing herself off of the cot Angela connected with the floor and allowed herself to let out a sigh. There was still plenty of work for her to do and should would eventually get to it but for the time being Angela savored the calm that washed over her. 

The paperwork that had been scattered around the blonde’s desk didn’t take any longer than a half-hour to finish, most people preferred using computers for the mounds of files that were required for her job but Angela was keen on keeping both physical copies as well as digital; sure it took twice as long to type up from the hard-copy rather than just print out a duplicate but she found it much more thorough in her own opinion. Slim hands ghosted over the holographic keys as she typed, hammering out various lines of text and medical rhetoric that was boring even to her standards. A thin, pinky gave the finalizing tap to the report, a single period that ended the notation and signaled that the doctor was done with her work. 

Angela reached across her desk and pulled up a mug of what was left of her morning coffee, the contents were cold and bitter but the woman had tasted worse. Idly she sipped from the cup while she pondered how she would manage to make it to Satya Vaswani’s quarters without being spotted by the cyborg ninja. No doubt Genji was acting as sentry somewhere just waiting to catch her off-guard and alone, it was no use attempting to avoid him any longer; she had things that she had to attend to and could use that as an excuse if needed. By the time she had drained the last dregs of coffee from the mug the young doctor had already prepared herself for whatever annoyance awaited her outside of the office. Satya was particularly stubborn when it came to her prosthetic arm and outright refused to be seen unless she was allowed to stay in her own sleeping quarters where she felt safe. Under normal circumstances Angela didn’t make house calls but for the hard-light architect she always made the exception; autism regardless of where it fell on the spectrum deserved some consideration and even compromise if necessary. It wasn’t like it was some impossible request, it was a simple gesture that made her patent feel more comfortable, any good person would do the same; she was sure. 

The hallway was empty. Smooth, clean metal ran the length of the passage dully reflecting the overhead light that filtered down from the high-vaulted ceiling panels. A sign escaped the woman as she ambled through the medical-wing while the heels she wore clacked rhythmically in time with her stride. Angela had never noticed exactly how loud her footfall was until that very moment, it was odd listening to the staccato echo as it traveled down the hallway and filled up the various rooms and hangers. Perhaps she had never noticed it in the past because there had always been so much going on around her when Overwatch was in its prime. Throngs of agents congested every square inch of the old installations, people doubled up in the sleeping quarters; some even took shifts just to catch a few hours of sleep when allotted. 

Another empty hallway greeted Angela as she turned a corner, so far her luck had held out but she wasn’t about to consider herself out of the woods just yet, Genji was a ninja after all he could just pop out of nowhere if she wasn’t careful. The thought of the Japanese cyborg leaping from the shadows was somewhat disheartening when she thought about it, there was the possibility that he could be following her the entire time just waiting for the right opportunity to reveal himself. It was an unsettling notion that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when she lingered on the thought too long. Angela decided to pick up her pace and hurried along to Satya’s room.


	2. Toe to Toe

Satya Vaswani, the nameplate on the door read with its crisp lettering done in a tranquil shade of blue. It hadn’t taken long to reach her destination yet Angela still felt somewhat out of breath, in the back of her mind the blonde was fully aware of the fact that she had jogged the last few corridors when she felt her anxiety spike. A heavy sigh escaped the woman as she brought her left hand up and gently tapped on the door-frame twice, anything more or less would end up sending her patent into a tizzy. She’d been on the receiving end of Satya’s lectures before; they weren’t pleasant. It was best to just avoid them when able. Adjusting the front of her lab coat with the flat of her palm Angela waited for the door to open.

If it was one thing that could be said about the hard-light architect it was she was prompt to a fault. When the door remained shut the blonde could feel her brows furrow and her jaw clench with worry. There was movement inside of the room followed by a sound that Angela couldn’t quite place.

“Doctor,” the door slide open with a quick hydraulic jerk revealing a rather disheveled looking Satya. The woman’s usual perfect straight ebony hair was tussled and unruly, strands danced along her exposed shoulders, clavicle and dared to fall into her clear brown eyes as she stared awkwardly at the petite field-medic. Her clothes weren’t in a much better state, the Ghagra Choli that the Indian woman wore was askew and the pleats in her skirt seemed unpressed and loose. “Many apologies for making you wait. I found myself lost in a reverie of thought. It took me a moment to process that you knocked.”

Angela gave a slight nod at the statement while she took a few steps into the room, the comment seemed stiff and somewhat odd but Satya wasn’t a liar so the blonde didn’t question the remark. The décor remained as it always had, elegant yet simple. A tidy bed done in whites and blues claimed the left half of the living quarters while the right side had a small desk crafted from illuminated hard-light with a translucent data screen that hovered in midair; a faint purple hue from the monitor drew Angela’s attention for just a moment before she tore her eyes away and addressed her patent.

“No need to apologize, I’ve been known to do the exact same thing,” Angela found herself turning back towards Satya who remained stationed by the automated door. “So shall we take a look at that arm of yours, ja?”

Miss Vaswani shook her head. “Actually if it is alright with you I would prefer if you simply took my prosthesis with you on your way out,” the stoic tone in Satya’s voice wasn’t foreign however the far away expression she wore wasn’t one Angela was custom to seeing. Unsure of what to do the doctor begrudgingly gave a nod and extended both of her hands. “I am very appreciative for your understanding. I just do not feel up for social interaction today.” A faint smile warmed Satya’s features as she reached up with her right hand and began to work the coupling units that fastened her artificial arm in place at the shoulder. Each motion was delicate and precise as she removed the white, metallic limb; Angela was well aware that the process was extremely intimate for Satya and left the woman feeling vulnerable and exposed. The fact that she even allowed her in the same room while she took the piece off demonstrated the unspoken trust and respect that she held for her and for that the doctor was grateful.

“I will take this opportunity to run a full diagnostic, I’ll return to you in the morning. Until then.” Angela excused herself without any further delay and headed in the direction of the gymnasium. In the forefront of her mind the blonde questioned herself, there was no reason that she couldn’t go back to her lab and put the prosthetic away before she headed over to meet with Fareeha yet Angela continued to cling to the limb; all four kilograms of it somehow making her feel more at ease. The hard cadent knicker-knack of dark soled boots echoed along the lackluster, dull-brushed alloy corridor with each step the doctor took, row upon row of sealed doors that held little to no differentiation lined every turn throughout the compound; the only distinctive variance in the environment were the small mounted wall-plates that labeled the sections and departments within the imidiate area.

“Angela,” an excited and all too familiar voice called out, instinctively the woman began to chew the inside of her cheek in an attempt to keep her expression neutral and somewhat calm. “It is good to see you doctor. May I walk with you?”

“Oh Genji, I didn’t expect to bump into you,” petite shoulders stiffened the moment the man stood next to her but he didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he just didn’t care. “I was on my way to meet with,” Angela’s voice cracked slightly making her tone spike two octaves. “Fareeha.,” clearing her throat with a shallow cough the blonde lifted the prosthesis in her hands so that the cyborg had a better view. “I also have this to tend to.”

“I see,” a metallic hum reverberated just past the face plate the Japanese man wore and for a brief moment the field-medic thought that perhaps today he would take the hint. Instead he let out a small bout of laughter and clapped a hand on her upper back. “You are such a devout friend to Fareeha,” he butchered the name. “she is lucky to have someone like you in her life. Allow me to escort you to your destination, Angela.” Again he butchered the pronunciation much to the doctor’s ire yet she didn’t bother to correct him, it wasn't that his accent was an issue so much as he used the American version rather than the European. There was no point in wasting her breath on such a trivial matter, he wasn’t listening to what she said anyhow.

“I don’t see why not.” She caved. Logically Angela knew there was no particularly convincing reason as to why he couldn’t just walk with her down a hallway. The whole situation was miserable and she didn’t have the backbone to standup for herself; conflict was one thing that the doctor didn’t know how to fix.

Silence stretched on for what felt like hours as they walked. It wasn’t the comfortable quiet that she and Fareeha could share, instead it was an anxious nothingness that made her feel uneasy and caused her to fidget with the device in her hands. “Are you normally free around this time everyday?” Genji muttered, his tone inquisitive as he pressed for information. Angela shrugged in response.

“It depends on my work load,” she hesitated before elaborating. “I’m very busy most days but I can always find at least a little time to spare for Fareeha.” The answer she gave was earnest and almost too candid for the ninja’s liking. Again a hand found its way to her upper back where it rested for a brief moment.

“Perhaps tomorrow you could spare some time for me in your schedule.”

Angela held her tongue as she shrugged off the unwanted contact. It wasn’t the same, Genji had never been her friend and had never made an attempt at gaining her friendship when they were younger. In the days that they worked together the man’s sole purpose focused on the destruction of his family’s criminal empire. He had his chance years ago to befriend her, why was it that he suddenly felt the need to force their interaction so adamantly. It made no sense to her. “I am uncertain if I can manage that.” the response lacked any sort of attempt at mollifying the situation and offered no explanation to the reason behind her comment. Silence found its way back into the conversation much to the doctor’s relief.

Then Genji spoke once again. “That is unfortunate but perhaps I can stop by while you are working and bring you tea.” Angela hated tea. “I promise I will not detain you from your endeavors. How does that sound?” Genji implored. The soft mechanical rasp in his tenor did little to defer the hopefulness that resided there, Angela could feel her resolve crumble; she wouldn’t date the man just because he threw himself at her but she would at least attempt to be civil.

“I literally can’t think of a reason why not,” the blonde huffed. The smile she wore was forced but Genji didn’t seem to care, instead the cyborg chuckled and clapped his hands together in excitement. “However,” Angela continued, regretting her decision already. “If something comes up I will have to excuse myself. I am sure you understand.” Pale blue eyes peered down the hallway after the man at her side nodded. The gymnasium was only a few corridors away, all she had to do was survive a few more moments then she was free to take out her frustration on a practice dummy.

Once the pair came to the end of the hall Genji stopped and gave an honorific bow before he departed. Thin digits sought out the bridge of the field-medic’s nose and idly rubbed at the pressure that she could feel gathering behind her eyes. Sounds filtered past the threshold that lead into the training room, a bark of husky laughter mixed with the clatter of weights being dropped roughly onto a bar catcher greeted the blonde as she made her way into the room. The warm acrid air that circulated the interior of the gym held a muggy dampness that permeated through the various layers of clothing the doctor wore reminding the woman why she so seldom actually visited the indoor athletic facility.

Ana was the first to acknowledge the doctor. The older woman wore a casual grin as she swayed back and forth on a well-worn padded mat dodging the onslaught of jabs and kicks her daughter threw at her as they sparred. “Hello there, Angela. Good of you to join us,” the mirth in the older woman’s tone was pleasant even as she shouted across the room, the two rotary fans that were anchored in place along the back wall whined in unison as if offended by the sheer volume of the Arabic woman’s voice. “I see you came to give my daughter a _hand_.”

Angela blinked and adjusted the prosthesis that she carried. The joke was terrible yet the Swiss doctor snorted and made a show of overreacting. “Mein Goooooooooott,” amusement colored the indignant vocalization the woman let out as she tossed her head back and stalked across the room towards the small alcove that held personal lockers and a private changing area. “That was awful!”

“I dunno,” Fareeha crooned loudly. “I really thought you would have found that _humerus_.” The Egyptian woman’s inflection on the word left the room silent for just a moment, the doctor couldn’t even begin to muster the ability to feint a laugh if she wanted to; the shirt she wore held back any noise that came from her mouth like a makeshift filter as she fumbled to remove the garment over her head. Angela was fairly certain she heard Ana playfully chastise her daughter with utterances of ‘Fareeha no’ and ‘I raised you better than that’ while she freed herself from her sweater and tugged on her athletic wear.

“HA! Humorous, is sounding like other word for arm! I get joke, is amusing because doctor had one with her. Very funny Little Bird!” Zarya’s boisterous voice tore through the gymnasium unexpectedly. It had taken months for several of the new members of the re-called Overwatch to get used to the woman’s use of unusual pet names. There was no malice behind the terms despite some of the rather oddly prefixed nouns choices; for the Russian weightlifter it was merely her way of addressing someone who’s name she knew that she couldn’t pronounce correctly.

Slim hands tugged at an unruly piece of biting clothe that dug into her pale flesh along the start of ribbed bones that consisted of the thoracic cage. Tight black leggings clung to the Swiss doctor’s lower limbs like a second skin, the performance fabric was of a wicked material and pulled the already forming perspiration away from the contours of her body. The training area however still felt of a hot, humid dampness. Angela glanced down at her change of clothes, unlike Aleksandra and Fareeha her body lacked the same excessive, defined musculature though she wasn’t envious rather she marveled at their physiques. The doctor was well aware that her build wasn’t meant to be a powerhouse of muscle. The narrow swell of hipbones gave the woman’s tall, willowy frame a feminine element as did the elongated trim muscles in her thighs and calves, even if she trained everyday her naturally slight body type would out right refuse the change she sought; health was the only factor that really mattered when it came to appearance and in that regard the blonde was beyond fit.

In one breath Angela rounded the partition that separated her from the others and strode over to the punching bag closest to where her friend and mother rough housed. Normally the sun-kissed security chief helped the blonde wrap her knuckles, the skin along her small hands wasn’t thin or delicate yet the field-medic had a bad habit that left the upraised cutis of her hand joints ripped and bloodied. The synthetic leather surface of the heavy, cylindrical bag stung upon contact; Angela scoffed and sheepishly peered over at Fareeha through her long lashes. The younger woman had at some point stopped trading blows with the matron of her family and instead was positioned underneath a bench press; dark tresses of shoulder length hair sat neatly at the crown of the woman’s head in a high pulled ponytail yet her bangs remained glued to the sides of her sharp clenched jawline. No use bothering her while she was busy.

“Say Aleksandra would you bind my hands for me,” sweetly inquired the doctor as she hitched her eyebrows upward and offered a wan smile of sorts. All Angela saw was a tuft of pink shoot up, the chilled water bottle in Zarya’s hands dropped to the floor next to the exercise machine she had claimed apparently forgotten in that very instant. “I keep meaning to buy a pair of gloves to keep in my locker but _someone_ always forgets to remind me when we are out.”

A guttural noise bubbled up from the base of the Russian woman’s throat in the form of a deep laugh, the gap between the two vanished within a blink of the eye. “Seems Little Bird is also bird brain, yes?” strong, massive hands tipped with bright nail polish outstretched expectantly. “Come Dove, Zarya will take care of you,” a cocky grin upturned the corners of the former Olympian’s mouth, the bravada was both charismatic and outright obnoxious simultaneously; regardless both small hands were offered out to the brute. “How have you been doctor?” the question seemed like an automation, a reflex impulse to help hurry the mundane task of wrapping cotton gauze in the same place over and over again.

Across the room a dark, heavy brow furrowed in annoyance, Fareeha caught herself glaring venomously behind Angela’s back. A faint snarl twisted the younger woman’s features hardening her expression as narrowed her eyes further and thrusted aggressively upward with weights; her actions didn’t go without notice but were left unaddressed.

“Genji’s driving me crazy! And now I have to have tea with him tomorrow.” exasperation claimed the blonde but she forced a strained laugh out of habit.

“Ah, you can’t get him out of your mind, that is good sign! So the rumors about you and the tiny assassin are true!” Aleksandra beamed while finishing up with the boxing tape. Perhaps if the smaller woman hadn’t laughed the inflection in her voice would have been made more apparent to the Russian weightlifter. “You two finally going on date, da? Reinhardt and the gorilla will be very happy for you both.”

“What!” a cacophony reverberated throughout the gymnasium, metal sang noisily as a barbell loaded with a full set of weights clattered to the floor rather than catch on the safety stoppers of the stand, Fareeha rolled to her feet looking indignant and bewildered while Ana found the whole situation to her amusement but retained an impassive demeanor; for the sake of the children.

Angela Ziegler couldn’t staunch the aghast sound that tore its way vocally from her lungs, bandaged palms flew to her face in an attempt to veil the embarrassment of her overreaction and to hid the disgusted expression she couldn’t help but wear. “Absolutely not! I don’t have feelings for him like that! And what rumors?”

“Yeah, what rumors!?” Fareeha echoed from across the room, her tone terse and somewhat murderous. Despite her muscle mass and height the strongest woman in the world Aleksandra Zaryanova withered like a shrinking violet, wide green eyes scanned the room like a frightened animal backed into a corner while she raised her hands forward defensively.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I wasn’t meaning for,” the woman gestured with both hands as she spoke. “Whatever _this_ is,” Zarya paused remembering she had a water bottle somewhere. Ambling back towards the machine where she left it the pink haired woman sat down and took a drink. “Is just normal type rumors, you know? Back in military there were always gossip, helps soldiers take mind off stress. Is no big deal but is not my place to keep things from involved party,” strong arms dropped into the woman’s lap as she hesitated and coyly played with the bottle in her hands. “Some peoples are saying that you should bed already or was it that you two had already bed? Either way, I think you can do better than a man that is part machine.”

The heady scent of sweat blended with the faintest bit of fruit attracted pale blue eyes in the direction of the Egyptian beside her. A mixture of emotions flashed intensely across Fareeha’s face, each twitch of her mouth and micro-expression brought her closer to tears; ones the doctor knew were of anger. “Well those rumors are wrong and I do deserve better. Those people saying such things should be ashamed of themselves.” Angela took a moment to run her fingertips along her exposed arms, a sour taste lingered in the back of her mouth and made her stomach tighten into an unpleasant knot. Fareeha noticed the discomfort and placed a strong, calloused hand on the woman’s back. Normally the touch was enough to be consolatory yet Angela found herself leaning inward and was rewarded with the gentlest movement of fingertips rubbing small patterns into the fabric on her spine.

“I will make sure to lecture Mister Wilhelm on your behalf dear,” the comment came from the far side of the room, amusement evident in the coltish tone. All it took was that single utterance and the delicate touches that soothed the field-medic’s frayed nerves disappeared. Hooded blue eyes tossed a miffed glance in Ana’s direction, damned meddlesome woman. “But for now why don’t we all get back to what we came here to do. And no listening to that noise of yours ḥabībtá, I want to actually have a conversation with you for once.”

Fareeha nasally groaned. “Mum please, I’ve told you it isn’t music it’s an audio book.” Ana shook her head and pointed towards the sparring mats. Sass was apparently an inherited trait.

“My daughter, too good for reading. Who would have known? Get over here so I can knock some sense into you.” Angela shoved the solid wall of muscle that was Fareeha towards her mother with a smirk; pale lips mouthed _‘I am not going to save you’_ despite the fierce urge to coddle the taller woman from her estranged parent. Emotional scars took time to heal and a single decade did little to diminish the pain that lingered from the loss of a loved one; Angela had always thought that if by some miracle her mother and father came back to her it would be a moment of elation. Fareeha’s agony taught her better; tragedy never yielded anything other than betrayal and anguish. Someone always ended up hurt no matter what the good intentions were. One day her friend would have to mourn the death of her mother all over again, burying someone was difficult enough once in a lifetime but having to see them off twice was just cruel.

Thick chains swayed with each strike the blonde made against the heavy punching bag. Lactic acid swelled in the elongated fibers that formed the muscles of the Swiss doctor’s arms, each motion was more satisfying than the last and left a tingling sensation shooting up from her clutched fist into her elbows. Time ceased to exist within the rhythm of wrapped knuckles connecting against synthetic leather; she dedicated the sonata to the frustrations she brutalized and continued until the only thing she felt was emptiness and a trickle of sweat roll down her brow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys, gals and non-binary pals! Thank you so much for all of the amazing comments and kudos... I didn't expect to have such a nice receiving. It means so much to me. 
> 
> I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. For me writing it was fun but I constantly was yelling at my screen anytime I wrote Genji's dialog. The characterization of Zarya however was hella fun to play around with especially since I wrote her dialog in the thickest Russian accent I could manage. 
> 
> Until next time, privet partners~


	3. A Step Back

Wisps of hazy steam languidly played along the surface of every fixture within the small, personal lavatory that belonged to a certain incredibly sore and tired blonde. Angela’s body rested heavily against the ceramic tiled wall positioned just underneath the shower nozzle, exhaustion was not unfamiliar to the woman yet the ache in her limbs reminded her that she flexed her brain more regularly than her brawn. Pale hands steadied herself as she turned the faucet off and let out a satisfied groan. Under no circumstance had the blonde expected to end up being the last person to leave the gymnasium, both Amari women as well as Aleksandra left her to her own volition when dinner was announced over the intercom system. Angela had made her way back to her sleeping quarters shortly afterward and worked on Satya’s prosthesis until her eyes burned and the only thing she could think about was a hot shower and her bed.

 “One down, one to go,” offhandedly stated the doctor to no one particular as she toweled off. Sleep, as it often did, had to wait while the woman readied herself for bed. A pair of shorts and a long gown that depicted a yellow cartoon duck wearing a stethoscope with the text _‘I’m a quack’_ written across the chest swallowed the blonde as she groggily pulled on her standard sleepwear and yawned. It didn’t take too much longer before the fair-complected Swede staggered across her small living quarters and sank into the comfort of plush blankets and pillows. Fatigue tugged at the blonde as she curled on her side and shut her eyes; sleep, even when she attempted to surrender herself to it willingly, was a struggle. The only thing she could do was stay still and hope silence lulled her to sleep. Tonight however the base offered no pacifying cradlesong. Instead a hesitant knock at the door sat her up and brought her back into consciousness. “Who is it?”

 The inquiry went without answer and instead the automated door that had been locked slid open with a hiss; the intruder let out a chuckle of sorts and stepped inside. “You look cozy.”

 “Fareeha Amari,” Angela blurted out, clearly startled. In all of her years she had never sounded more embarrassingly girlish and daft all at the same time. “I think you gave me a heart attack...” A slim hand reached up and made a show of clutching the front of her shirt while she over-dramatically panted and played the part of a frightened victim.

 An incredulous snort choked back a loud fit of amused laughter from the taller woman. Bare feet carried the dark-haired Egyptian closer to where Angela sat giving the other woman a clear view of what she was wearing. Unlike the doctor Fareeha’s pajama choice was far more fitting for an adult; she wore grey sweatpants that barely managed to stay up on her narrow hips and a blue tank top that exposed the smallest amount of her hardened stomach when she breathed. “Oh please we both know I didn’t even scare you. Besides no one else but me knows the code to your door,” Fareeha chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. “Two-four-six-two-six-seven-two-eight-three. You literally have the word chocolate spelled out in alphanumeric characters. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would ever guess that a genius like you would pick something so incredibly dorky for a pass code.”

 Ice cold feet pushed against the exposed midriff of the former soldier’s sun-kissed skin, pale toes squirmed in delight at the shriek and instant recoil that the mischievous touch caused. “Did you just come here to insult me?” Angela giggled and outstretched her leg more trying to shove her foot back against the warmth of the taller woman’s stomach as she retreated. In private both women had always been excessively playful especially when they were both younger, little had changed over the years despite the distance between them when Fareeha joined the military. Even then they would write to each other and during leave the Egyptian would visit the field-medic regardless of where she was or what humanitarian relief she was leading. No one else even made an effort to contact the Swiss doctor after Overwatch had been disbanded, Fareeha Amari truly was the only constant in her life, everyone else lost the respect she once held for them.

 “Not a chance. You know I would never insult you. You’re too scary when you’re mad,” a strong hand seized the blonde’s delicate ankle and held it gently while she continued to speak. “I actually came by to check up on you.” Concern replaced the mirth that resided in the woman’s honey brown gaze as she released her grip on her friend’s leg, Fareeha lived to protect those around her even when she wasn’t certain what she was protecting them from.

 The blonde readjusted herself and sat closer to the clearly unsettled brunette beside her, small hands tentatively gravitated towards the other woman but stopped and retracted back into her own lap. “I’m fine, liebchen. There’s no reason to fret.”

 A heavily muscled shoulder gave a shrug in response. “I know, I know it’s just we didn’t get to talk much today. I didn’t expect mother to be so demanding of my attention then that whole thing with Aleksandra,” there was a pause followed by a large warm hand casually stroking patterns along the blonde’s pale arm. “You’ve been so stressed lately, I can’t help but worry. The only thing I can really think to do is make sure I am here for you if you need to vent or---provide a distraction.” A knuckle lazily stroked the inside of the smaller woman’s wrist earning an appreciative sigh. The two leaned against each other in comfortable silence for the longest while until the dark-skinned security chief finally pulled back and stepped away from the bed.

 “Fareeha, I was comfortable. What are you doing?” Irritation laced the Swiss doctor’s unusually husky voice as she spoke. The sound was foreign but not unpleasant Fareeha mentally noted as she reached into the pockets of her sweatpants and pulled out a handful of scattered data cards. Within a moment the blonde scrambled to her feet in realization dragging the largest of her several blankets with her.

 “I brought a few movies for us to watch.” Fareeha extended her hand out for the groggy medic to inspect. Clear blue eyes widened at the titles that were displayed along the casing of each card, every single one she loved. Deft fingers claimed a particular film that was her absolute favorite. Wordlessly the pair setup the movie and sat together on the small couch that decorated the far corner of the room where a halo screen was projected along the wall. The massive blanket that the two shared did little to keep them warm as they attempted to sit on opposite ends of the sofa so that they could stretch out comfortably. Angela couldn’t help but steal a glance towards the Egyptian woman the moment the piano score composed in a complex 5/4 meter began to play, the blanket shifted some and Fareeha burrowed her strong jaw into the fabric hiding her expression much to the blonde’s dismay.

 “You had no intention on returning to your room tonight did you,” a giggle emphasized the amusement of the situation. Thirty-two years old and Fareeha was still scared of horror movies. “I can’t believe how incredibly cute you are right now, get over here so I can protect you from the boogeymen.” The Swiss doctor flung her arms open jokingly, she had expected the other woman to get defensive or throw a cushion at her instead a solid wall of moving muscle snuggled against her before she even had the chance to oppose.

 “It’s your fault I’m like this,” Fareeha groused and peered towards the screen just as the camera began to slowly zoom in on a rather poorly carved jack-o’-lantern. “You traumatized me when I was a kid by making me watch this stuff with you.”

 Angela let out an offended scoff at the accusation. “We both know that’s a lie,” countered the blonde in a neutral tone. “You would beg me to let you watch these movies and every time _this_ would happen. Don’t try to blame me, now shush I want to watch this.” Despite the fact she hadn’t intended to actually hold the taller woman Angela found the sensation of their bodies pressed flush comforting, idly thin fingertips ran through dark, silken hair, the repetitive motion enticing her to shut her eyes just for a moment.

 Morning came as a surprise to the doctor as she brought a knuckle to her eyes and rubbed grit away from the corners. She didn’t have any recollection of turning in for the night but didn’t question it when she saw the Egyptian woman sprawled out on her back with blankets kicked away from her body, both arms above her head, and her tank top riding up her well-defined abdomen laying next to her. A faint, murky light filtered through the room bringing with it a dim glow. In the pale radiance of dawn Angela admired every feature of the other woman as she slept. Fareeha had always been her savior, not in the traditional sense of rescuing her from injury or bodily harm but aiding her in preserving a facet of herself that she hadn’t realized she was running away from. Back when they first met Fareeha reminded her that she was still just a child herself, it was easy to forget that she deserved the right to a childhood with everyone pulling her towards maturity with no regard for her own wants, their pity blinding them to the emotional neglect they caused, no one but that round-faced little girl allowed her to feel joy in just being herself. Even now that they were both adults the blonde relished in the fact that they could still act like children without guilt, Angela smiled at the notion, one day she would have to admit that confession to the younger woman. It still amazed the blonde when she considered all of the variables that could have effected them as people, the bombing of the Swiss headquarters, Fareeha joining the military, the disbanding of Overwatch, Ana’s supposed death, it was incredible that they somehow never allowed those things to impact their relationship. Angela couldn’t help but heave a sigh as she tore her gaze away from the woman beside her, all she wanted to do was throw the blankets over her head and shrug off all responsibilities for the day but she knew better. A fierce whine escaped the blonde as she pulled herself out of bed and begrudgingly started her day.

 Breakfast, as it always had been, consisted of the dinner from the night before, which she consumed in her office while she took care of paperwork and went over reports. It had taken years for people to realize that the doctor didn’t skip meals because of her busy schedule or some purposeful attempt to keep her figure. In actuality the reason was onset by the various experimental injections she had undergone in the pursuit of science and the betterment of mankind. The countless nanites and peptides that bonded to her genetic coding caused unforeseen afflictions in her well-being and overall health, the duality of the situation however was that those same machines and chemicals are what keep her alive.

 A pale hand toyed with a pen while blue eyes gazed at the figures on the sheet, there was nothing substantial in the reading yet Angela felt irritated all the same. It wasn’t even six in the morning and she already felt the clawing of stress settle just at the base of her skull. Angela dropped the pen back to her desk and let out a groan, willowy fingertips brushed the back of her neck and prodded at the stiffness she found there. “What I need to do is finish up Satya’s arm. The last thing I need is to have her come to my office and accuse me of forgetting.” Forcing herself into a standing position the Swiss doctor made her way towards the lab. Luckily everything was in the same general vicinity, the medical bay, her consultation office which connected to her living quarters, the research laboratory, and the operating theater.

 The scent of electrical emission singed the ozone near the doctor’s face as she ran another diagnostic on the bio-matrix within the corrective device. Each digit on the prosthesis functioned well within an acceptable range however the blonde was concerned with the safeguard protocol that maintained the stability of the built in photon projector. It seemed fine at first glance but--- there was always room for improvement even if it was time consuming.

 A shallow cough brought Angela back to the world around her and for a split second the blonde allowed herself to hope it was Fareeha standing behind her clearing her throat. “Good morning Doctor Ziegler,” Genji greeted in a calm tone. Angela didn’t have to turn around to know the man had given her a small bow as he spoke. “I’ve brought tea as promised.” The doctor silently gave a nod and threw a glance down at the nearly finished prosthesis on the workbench then towards a nearby clock. It was still early enough that Satya wouldn’t be awake for a few more hours giving her plenty of time to complete the repair and deal with the bothersome ninja.

 “Wonderful,” Angela replied in a tone that attempted to display some form of civility. “We should take the tea in my office, nothing but paperwork to ruin if it’s spilled there.” With that said the doctor stood up and turned. Genji followed Angela out of the laboratory as they made their way back to the consultation room, the papers on her desk remained where she had left them which she quickly tidied and put away before the short Japanese cyborg placed the tray he had been carrying onto the lacquered surface.

“Normally I would have prepared matcha but I recalled a conversation between you and master revolving around your disliking of bitter tastes,” the man sat down across from the doctor as she took a seat. Genji seemed determined to keep awkward silence from ruining the atmosphere as he gestured towards the items on the desk. “I even brought some milk and sugar just in case.” A metallic hand reached for the electric kettle that was stationed in the middle of the tray next to an empty glass teapot. Genji’s movements were delicate and poised as he removed the lid and tentatively poured searing hot water into the pot. Visor shielded eyes peered up at the doctor as she focused her attention on the preparation, not really wanting to talk but doing so anyhow.

 “That was very thoughtful of you Genji, I appreciate it.” The comment was low in tenor as she spoke, yet her tone was sincere. In response the ninja wordlessly bobbed his head and continued working with the tea. Angela had expected loose leaves or a sachet of dried herbs, instead the man placed something that she could only describe as a bulb of sorts on the surface of the scalding water. Clear liquid slowly began to discolor as the ball of aromatics began to bloom. During the transition neither of the two spoke, Angela watched the tea in wonderment while the ninja across from her marveled at her expressions. Suspended within the brew two arms of jasmine and globe of amaranth petals slowly, meticulously expanded upwards until the tendrils cupped a single Marigold flower victoriously.

 A soft, nearly soundless whirr drew Angela from her stupor as the ninja removed his cybernetic mask. A thin smile played at the edges of the man’s deeply scarred lips, brightening his otherwise grim appearance as he carefully began to pour the reddish liquid into a nearby cup. “This is a flowering tea,” he stated in a tone that was humble rather than condescending as he elaborated. “This particular one is called two dragons and a pearl. The name amused me. So I bought it. Originally I wanted to share it with my brother but...” Genji trailed off and chuckled at himself with a shake of his head. Angela had never had siblings of her own, she had been happy as an only child and couldn’t quite understand the connection that the brothers must have shared; instead of offering words of comfort the blonde chose to awkwardly blow against her tea rather than say anything immediately.

 Idly Angela sipped from the brim of her cup drawing the fluid against her teeth before she let it touch her tongue, she still hated tea regardless of how pretty it was while it steeped. “I think I might need that sugar and milk after all,” the flavor of the tea wasn’t altogether awful, light notes from the floral bits left her mouth feeling perfumed and dry but a sweet aftertaste followed once she managed swallowed. The thought of taking another sip even after she adjusted the flavor made the blonde sigh in resignation, at least Genji wasn’t doing anything to make her uneasy; in fact she was rather enjoying his company as hard as that was for her to believe. “So tell me, any news from Zenyatta?” At the question the sullen ninja perked up and grinned brightly.

 “Yes, actually,” excitement rang out like a bell in the young man’s voice as he gripped the edge of the desk and leaned forward. “Master sent a letter that said he should be returning soon. I’ve missed him greatly these past few months he’s been gone.” Genji deflated after his comment and went back to nursing his beverage. Tilting her head Angela examined the man in front of her for just a moment, perhaps he didn’t harbor any romantic intentions towards her, maybe he was just reaching out to her because he was lonely.

 “That is good to hear, I’m glad he will be returning from his pilgrimage soon. I have a stack of papers with his name on it once he steps foot through those doors,” Angela allowed herself to meet the intense gaze of the man across from her; discomfort swelled in the pit of her stomach and she found herself babbling to hide her distress. “Enjoying your tea?”

 The curt bark of laughter in response to her question surprised the Swiss doctor. “Angela,” dark eyes raked over the woman’s face as if attempting to find some hidden motive in her expression. “I cannot taste nor smell anything, I merely eat and drink to sate the need of what is left of my organic body. I take no enjoyment in the task. Not anymore at least.” Silence filled the space between the doctor and cyborg as pale blue eyes blazed critically, a fury reflecting in the normally tranquil azure hues.

 “I knew I should have overseen your conversion therapy! Those other doctors… Mein Gott… Genji that isn’t normal,” Angela steepled her slender fingers against her lips warding off the slurry of expletives that wanted to tear from her lungs. Stupidity was something that the woman couldn’t not tolerate, especially by people that called themselves medical professionals. “I can fix that.” It shouldn’t have been something that required her attention, there was no excuse for the original doctors that repaired the man’s broken body to miss something so fundamentally basic; again Angela was reminded why she thought Overwatch was a mistake. Genji had been recreated as a weapon rather than the man he once was, no wonder the ninja was so emotionally scarred and required spiritual guidance. Intense dark-eyes widened in disbelief, there were no words to convey the emotions that he felt; he had come to terms with his physical limitations years ago and now the woman in front of him stirred a hopefulness that he had already laid to rest. The ability to have back his sense of smell and taste was beyond comprehension, so he just sat vacantly staring forward until the blonde reached out to him and took his hand reassuringly.

 “I am without words, please allow me to have a moment,” he rasped, his voice a near whisper. A long while passed before the ninja found himself again. Hesitantly he placed his own hand on top of Angela’s and sheepishly stroked the pad of his thumb along her knuckles; unease once again returned but she found herself frozen and unable to recoil from the cool touch. “If this is truly something you can do for me, I am forever in your d–-debt.” Unruly eyebrows steadily crept up the man’s forehead as he gazed past the doctor’s shoulder. Confusion tinted his expression then soured into a scowl. A disheveled Fareeha Amari glared back at the man while she adjusted the waistband of her pajama bottoms and stalked over to the desk without making a sound.

 Strong, warm arms wrapped around Angela from behind pulling the smaller woman into a hug while a sharp chin came to rest on the curve of her shoulder. The doctor gasped and all but jerked her hand away from Genji so that she could return the embrace. “Good morning, schatzli.” Angela greeted affectionately, not realizing exactly what implications could be inferred from the situation.

 “Barely. You let me sleep in, it’s almost nine.” Fareeha gave the woman another squeeze before letting her go and picking up the cup of tea that belonged to the blonde. A cocky smirk toyed at the edges of her mouth as she drained the lukewarm liquid without premission, across the desk Genji sithed at her actions.

 “What! I didn’t realize it had gotten so late,” an apology was already beginning to form on Angela’s lips as she turned to address the man in front of her. “I am sorry to have to cut things short but I have other things that I need to–” the words hung in the air unfinished. Satya stood in the doorway of the office with a hand placed on her hip, her posture rigid and somewhat intimidating. Unlike the day before her appearance was nearly flawless. White stockings gently bit into the Indian woman’s thick thighs making the skin dimple ever so slightly at the junction between nylon and skin. The blue and gold waistcoat she wore was crisp and neatly pressed as was the matching skirt that hung perfectly on her hips and upper legs, even her hair was pulled back into the most elegantly pleated french braid conceivable. The only thing she lacked in visual aspect was her left arm. “Scheiße.”

Stoic amber eyes surveyed the room, calculating the details. Satya pursed her lips together and let out a small almost curious hum. “I have come for my prosthetic device. Hana has invited me to join her for a puzzle game. I require both hands for the task.” The statement was without venom or the expected cold, quiet rage she was often known for, it was good to see that she was in a pleasant, forgiving mood for a change. Angela stood up without delay and gave a rapid nod in reply.

“Of course! Of course. It is in my lab. Just a few tweaks left to perform on it,” busly the blonde skirted around her desk and made her way towards the door. “I am so sorry about not getting it to you sooner. I lost track of time.” A sigh escaped the the field-medic as she explained herself and rushed towards her lab leaving Genji and Fareeha in her office unsupervised; Satya followed her to the next room over.

“There is no need to apologize,” the woman informed, her voice calm and even. “I just do not wish to keep Miss Song waiting, otherwise she starts without me.” Satya clarified matter-of-factly, the neat braid swaying over her shoulder with each step she took. Angela had found the friendship between the Indian woman and the Korean girl incredibly sweet. No one would have guessed that the pro-gamer and the architect would have bonded over a retro video game that involved homicidal computers, a mute female protagonist and portals. It was good to see the pair enjoying each others company regardless of their differences. Once inside the research laboratory Angela rushed to put the finalizing adjustments on the photon imbued prosthesis. It hadn’t taken very long before the corrective aid was ready to be anchored back in place. This procedure required her steady professional hands. Each magnetic gasket had to be threaded with the utmost precision, otherwise the electronic signals wouldn’t register and the prosthesis would be nothing more than a limp piece of metal plastic. The process was silent, Angela concentrated on the task while the Indian woman closed her eyes and ignored the sensations that sparked throughout her body with each movement that was made. It was never a pleasant ordeal.

“There we are. All done.” Angela took a step back and watched as Satya wriggled her fingers and examined the articulation of her joints. Once her arm was back in place the blonde relaxed and smiled. Satya mirrored the expression thend excused herself. Angela watched as the woman walked away and for a moment the Swiss doctor squinted in realization. How the hell did Satya french braid her hair with just one arm?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there again everyone, The Anesthesia here. I would just like to say thank you for your continued support! It means the world to me. If you have any questions, suggestions, or anything in between throw it at me. 
> 
> For those of you that enjoy Tumblr you can find chapter notes and random ramblings about this story, and yeah my name is the same on that site as it is here, same icon as well. 
> 
> Actual notes for the chapter: Two Dragon and a Pearl blooming tea is a real thing. Google it. It's real pretty. 
> 
> Classic slasher horror films are Angela's favorite, she actually finds them funny because of how medically inaccurate they are. What a nerd. 
> 
> Also can we talk about Symmetra's thighs for just a second, cause like... whoa fam... I don't know how they managed a walk-in cameo but I am sure glad they did.


	4. Allegro

A gradient pattern of lavender and rose painted the high-arched ceiling above the reclined blonde. Despite the relaxed exterior the woman presented, she was still rigid with tension underneath the surface of her skin, even with her shoulders relaxed and eyes closed the telltale signs of turmoil were clearly evident.

“In order to embrace tranquility one must first release that which tethers them to the unrest within their mind,” Zenyatta stated all too calmly while he floated just a few inches above the chair he was _sitting_ on. Angela sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. It had been nearly two weeks since the omnic had returned from his trip to Nepal, little had changed during that time aside from the fact Genji didn’t approach her nearly as much; yet the rumors and unwanted romantic suggestions continued to circulate among the other agents. “We must first identify what causes you such emotional turbulence,” the robotic monk paused for a long moment, carefully studying the blonde doctor as she kept her eyes shut and her face pointed upwards. He could tell that she was not enjoying their mandatory counseling session. “You can be honest with me Angela, this is a safe place. Nothing you tell me here will go past these walls. I assure you.”

Zenyatta’s voice was soothing in a way the petite field-medic resented, she had been to therapy several times in her life, mostly for the death of her parents but there were other occasions when she had gotten older; the fact she was being forced to talk with the former Shambali guru tainted the entirety of the therapeutic treatment. If she had visited him on her own accorded the experience would have been far more beneficial, instead Winston had ordered her to seek him out even though she felt it completely unnecessary.

“You say that but you still have to write a report based on your findings,” a bitter smirk played at the corners of Angela’s lips, pale blue eyes glanced in the direction of the omnic as he hovered. He wasn’t even a licensed psychologist, he had no right to evaluate her. “This is a waste of my time, I lost my temper. It happens. That’s not unheard of in times of stress. I would understand going through all of this if I hit someone but all I did was raise my voice, this is an overreaction on Winston’s part and I’m rather irritated about it,” Angela sneered heatedly. “You can write that in your report, if you want.”

A slender metallic arm outstretched and tenderly rested against the blonde’s shoulder. “I’m sensing some aggression,” he gave a faint chortle in an attempt at lightening the mood between himself and the Swiss doctor. It was evident that she didn’t wish to be in his company, he didn’t take it as an insult so much as an exercise in patience and understanding. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened. It might relieve some of the hostility you are carrying.” Zenyatta would have smiled reassuringly if he were able to instead the omnic gave a nod of his head and gestured with both hands as if asking the blonde to allow him to help carry her burden.

Angela sighed, part of her wanted to be stubborn and tight lipped but there was no reason for her to act in such a way towards Zenyatta, if there were one person aside from Fareeha that would actually listen to her without judgement it was him. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to just talk about what happened.”

It had all started the day before, Angela had woken up at her regular time. Headed to her office, worked on reports while she ate breakfast that she didn’t bother to reheat. It was an average day, a bit lonesome and quiet but completely unremarkable. Two days prior Fareeha, along with Lena, Zarya and Lucio had been dispatched on an escort mission somewhere in Europe. Angela had wanted to go and attempted to negotiate the benefits of her accompaniment rather than the Brazilian DJ, in the end however Winston vetoed her request; it would have been nice to actually get out of the base for once and don her Valkyrie suit but the new, self-appointed leader of Overwatch simply wanted her to remain stationed in the medical wing until stated otherwise. Angela didn’t bother to argue, instead she buried herself in her workload and various projects. Without proper funding most of her undertakings would either be scrapped or put in stasis until Overwatch became a legally recognized organization again, in truth the woman had no faith in that occurring anytime in the near future. Genji’s operation wasn’t considered imperative, the specialized medical equipment and other resources required for the procedure weren’t easily obtained and without the proper channels she wasn’t certain if she would ever be able to fulfill her promise to the man.

Hours went by without much notice, the blonde continued her work without any irregular interruptions, eventually however she found a stopping point as her computer screen beeped and flashed a reminder that she needed to get lunch. Food wasn’t something that Angela found herself thinking about on her own, seldom did she ever actually feel hunger or at least register the sensation before suppressing it one way or another. Fareeha often brought a midday meal that they shared however with the other woman gone Angela was forced to venture outside of her office for sustenance. The short trek from the medical wing to the galley didn’t take long, within a few minutes the Swiss doctor found herself standing at the threshold of the kitchen. Inside Hanzo, Reinhardt, Ana, Winston, and Jesse McCree all were gathered around a massive dining table. Some were engaged in conversation while the others busied themselves with their food. Angela had hoped that Mei or perhaps even Hana or Satya would be present so that she could at least have someone to chat with for a brief moment but it seemed she wasn’t in luck. Lunch, unlike dinner, wasn’t announced and the food wasn’t prepared ahead of time. Back when Overwatch had a larger staff there had been cooks that were assigned to the daily meal planning... a sigh escaped the blonde as she strolled into the kitchen further and made her way to the refrigerator.

“Angela! I didn’t see you sneak in Fräulein! It is good of you to join us! I have extra,” Reinhardt glanced down at his plate that was literally a pile of meat and sauerkraut with mustard slathered on top. He laughed somewhat then bellowed all too loudly as he spoke again. “Never mind, it’s nothing that you would want to share.” Angela actually enjoyed mustard and sauerkraut but she had to be careful of the wurst, almost every kind had pork in it. Rindswurst was the expection but she didn’t go out of her way to get any, other foods were healthier and more readily available anyhow.

The tall, thinly-built doctor waved a hand at the man and his antics. “Thank you for the thought just the same,” turning her attention back to the contents of the ice box Angela groaned at how little there actually was. Everything had a name written on it meaning it was off-limits or simply wasn’t appetizing in the least. Shutting the refrigerator door Angela moved her search to the freezer, the icy contents proved much more adequate in terms of variety but the fact everything was a solid mass would take more time to thaw and that meant longer to cook. Perhaps she would just return to her work instead. Another sigh escaped the blonde as she moved to shut the door, out of the corner of her eye something caught her attention and made her turn so that she was looking at the small shelf built into the cast metal. Ten containers all with her name written in elegant print lined the inside of the ledge, there was no telling how old the contents of each package was without closer inspection. Slim hands claimed the first one in the row and brought it closer to the woman. There was a date scrawled next to her name with instructions on how to reheat the food inside. “I can’t believe you...” The whisper barely made it past her lips as she eyed the container, there was only one person that would go out of their way to make sure she ate daily and that was Fareeha. Each packaged meal was something different so that she had a variety to chose from, the one that she held would suffice, caramelized udon noodles with mushrooms and beef tips. “She spoils me so much.” Caught up in her own thoughts the blonde didn’t realize that someone was speaking to her until after she had already started to walk over towards the microwave.

“Earth to Angie, dang sugar heat that slop up fast, yer all spaced out.” The heavy southren accent snapped the blonde to her senses and brought her back to the present. Everyone was staring at her, Ana idly sipped on a cup of tea while Jesse smirked at her far too toothsomely for her liking.

“Don’t call it slop, that is rude. It’s probably better than whatever you’re stuffing into your face.” Angela retorted over her shoulder as she popped her meal into the microwave and set it for ten minutes. At her comment the cowboy clutched the front of his poncho and held his other hand out defensively.

“I will have you know lil’ Swiss Miss that I am deeply hurt by that accusation, I’m eatin’ plenty healthy. Nothing beats this here salad.” Jesse stated firmly and lifted his fork. In all of the years she had known the man he had never willingly eaten anything that remotely had any nutritional value unless it was smothered in barbeque sauce. Glacing down at the coyboy’s plate the blonde couldn’t help but give an amused snort.

“That’s a burger Jesse.” Angela began to argue only to be cut off by the scruffy gunslinger waggling a finger at her.

“Oh no you don’t! This here is a salad, it’s got lettuce, tomato, onion and a little bit of meat without no damned bun. That’s the picture definition of a salad. You can’t tell me otherwise doc,” a smug grin brightened the rugged man’s expression as he cut into his so called salad and took a huge bite. Angela rolled her eyes at the action and returned her attention back on her own food. It didn’t take long before she was ready to sit down at the table and join her co-workers. Angela took a seat next to Jesse, even though he was loud proved to be the most harmless when it came to pestering her about her personal life; unless of course something prompted him. Such as a note stuck inside the lid of her lunch, she hadn’t even had a chance to take a single bite of her food before he scooped up the message and held it up teasingly. “Ooooh what we got here, a little love note? Maybe from a secret admirer. Should I read it outloud?”

Even though the message was from her friend and probably just something silly the blonde couldn’t help but get embarrassed and all too possessive of the private memo. “Don’t you dare! Give that back Jesse, you have no right! It could be something personal!” Angela extended her hand expectantly and for a moment she even thought the cowboy was going return the item without a fight instead he cleared his throat and began to read so that everyone around the table could hear.

“I left bean sprouts and fresh cilantro in the crisper for you,” Jesse sulked as he skimmed over the small note, his expression however perked up as he continued. “Try and save that last meal so that we can share it together later, take care of yourself. Yours Always – Aw damn they didn’t sign it! This here sure sounds like a wuv letter though, c’mon Angie spill yer guts, who is this mystery Casanova?” McCree slapped the note down onto the table and sized Angela up hoping she would cave. Crimson had climbed from the base of her neck into her cheeks and radiated towards the tips of her pale ears, the entire situation was embarrassing.

“Stop being a child, Jesse. Let me eat in peace.” Angela huffed and stabbed at her noodles, despite the fact Fareeha had written the message the way the man read it oozed with undertones that were anything but platonic; the cowboy was such a jackass sometimes and now everyone around the table seemed to feed off of the energy.

“This is wonderful news! Our little Angela finally has a suitor and one that is so thoughtful too! Come now tell us who has warmed up our favorite doctor’s heart?” Roared the white haired lion of the group, his massive hands hammered the surface of the table jostling various bowls and plates in all directions as he did so.

“It has to be your brother Hanzo,” a husky yet verbose baritone cut through the excited chatter of the other men. “By my calculations, Genji is the only prime candidate for Doctor Ziegler’s affections. Isn’t that correct Angela?” Winston smirked broadly, the bottom set of fangs in his mouth jutted over his top lip as he smiled. The gorilla’s expression instantly drained whatever color had been in the blonde face and made her lose the desire to eat her food altogether. It was different when Jesse or Reinhardt teased her about her love life, it came from a place of familiarity and playful jest, when Winston made comments it was with the utmost seriousness and analytical viewpoint possible. It made her uncomfortable. Next to the primate the long-haired tattooed archer scoffed with disdain.

“Tsk,” the noise the man made reverberated from the base of his throat and against the back of his teeth as he crossed his arms over his chest and spoke. “You do not know my brother well enough to make such assumptions. He is not worthy of consideration when it comes to matters of the heart. He is selfish and lacks honor. He would never treat a woman properly. Your calculations must be incorrect.” Out of the corner of his eye Hanzo glanced towards the petite blonde, the fainstest tug of amusement pulled the corner of his lip upward for only a moment then disappeared; out of all the people Angela would have never expected the elder Shimada brother to actually be on her side when it came to arguing about Genji.

“Conversations like this is exactly why I never come out of the lab to take lunch,” pushing herself away from the table Angela stood up and grabbed the container Fareeha had made for her. “I can choose whomever I wish to have feelings for or no one at all. My emotions aren’t some battle statistic you can just write a formula for and solve for fun,” Angela’s voice hitched in her throat and she felt herself on the verge of yelling. “This is the last time I will say this to anyone. I do not like Genji like that. I never will. It is as simple as that. Now drop it.”

Silence hung in the air as did tension, Reinhardt and Jesse both exchanged guilty glances between themselves, Hanzo chewed the inside of his cheek to keep himself from outright smiling and Ana continued to idly sip her tea while looking at the group with disinterest. Angela felt her shoulders sag somewhat at the lull of conversation, relief even if it was caused by such awkwardness still set her at ease.

“’Never’ is such an extreme absolute Angela,” and just like that the blonde woman felt her body go rigid. Was Winston really trying to argue with her? “There is always a variable that could change how you feel. Given enough time you and Genji could become closer than just friends. Besides he is an ideal partner for you even if you don’t realize it. He is within your age range–” Winston found herself being cut off by an irrate Swiss doctor before he could even list all the reasons he thought the Japanese cyborg was a perfect match for the blonde.

“Mein Gott! I don’t need convincing! My mind is set! Genji doesn’t have a chance to be with me romantically–” Everyone in the room was uncomfortable as Winston removed his glasses and talked over Angela as she tried to voice her opinion.

“It seems to me that you do need convincing. It isn’t logical to just give up on a solution without even attempting to solve the problem.”

Angela slammed her hands onto the table spilling the content of her lunch along the surface and the floor, her face was bright red, not from embarrassment as it had been but a darker shade twinged with splotches of purple, an unattractive color that clearly denoted anger. “For fucks’s sake,” Angela’s voice was frigid and flat. “I don’t like men. I’m a homosexual–”

In all of her years she had never admitted to anyone that she preferred the company of women. Unlike Lena she wasn’t open about her orientation, especially because it wasn’t as simple as having an attraction to the same gender. Angela had figured out that she fell somewhere on the ace spectrum. Demisexual, homoromantic was the exact specification she had settled with after years of not really understanding her own feelings. It was just easier to say she was a lesbian that was very picky about her partners than try to explain she didn’t feel sexual attraction the way that other people did. That she needed to have a deep emotional bond with a person before she would even consider dating them and that they had to be a woman because she felt a disconnect with men no matter how nice or compatible they were.

“I highly doubt that,” at first Angela was certain that she had misheard the gorilla, the calm, cold anger that resided in her chest and kept her demeanor from spiraling out of control finally began to crack. “The probability of you not being heterosexual is just too absurd. Roughly only one in fifty female adults identify as homosexual and seeing as we already have one confirmed lesbian in Overwatch, statistically speaking there is little chance you are also, um, gay.” With each breath Winston took Angela felt the pit of her stomach fill with an unfamiliar sensation that seared her insides and made coherant thought difficult for her to grapple onto.

“Fuck you,” Angela shrieked while repeatedly slamming one hand onto the table and shoved the index finger of her other threateningly at the massive primate. At this point Hanzo, Reinhardt and McCree had all clambered from their seats and latched onto the furious blonde pulling her away from Winston. “Get off me! Stop fucking touching me!” Pushing away from the three men Angela sneered venomously and stalked out of the kitchen, still boiling with rage. Behind her the doctor could hear the group collectively talking.

Unblinkingly Zenyatta hovered while he listened to the Swiss doctor, pale blue eyes latched onto the ceiling as she recalled the incident, all the while her slim hands wrung together and twisted until the tips of her thin digits were painfully white. A low metallic hum escaped the omnic as he pushed himself upright and stood, Angela watched as the robotic monk made his way to the small desk in the corner of the room and picked up a note pad.

“Thank you for sharing all of this information with me Doctor Ziegler,” politely uttered Zenyatta as he turned and faced the field-medic. Hesitantly the blonde remained where she sat, there had been a small amount of hope that speaking to the monk would have alleviated some of the tension or at least the unpleasantness that fogged her mind but she still felt the exact same; it wasn’t until he spoke again that she found a silverlining awaiting her. “I’m very proud of you for defending who you are but I am very saddened that you felt the need to reveal that part of yourself in order to form a defense,” Zenyatta waggled a pen between his fingers, twirling it effortlessly. “My report on you is completed but it seems that our furred-friend Winston is gravely overdue for sensitivity training. You may return to work now if you wish but always remember that my door is open to you Angela.”

The blonde have a slight nod and eased herself forward until she was perched on the edge of the chair. “That’s it? We’re concluded here?” Uncertainty presented itself in the form of a shaky question. It wasn’t like Zenyatta to just listen without making some sort of assessment or attempt to find inner peace. Angela still felt exposed and vulnerable from the whole situation and was startled by the lackluster dismissal. A rounded, metallic head tilted at the inquiries, another soft hum came from the monk as he put his pen down and approached the distressed woman.

“Are we concluded here, Angela? Or is there more you wish to discuss?” Pale eyes tore away from the omnic and focused on her hands once more, she was already clenching them nervously and sliding back into her chair.

“I don’t normally get mad like I did. It was unsettling to say the least.” A small breathy noise rushed past the thin-figured blonde’s lips as she explained herself. Zenyatta gave a nod of his own and lowered himself back into a cross legged hovering position beside the doctor.

“What was it about having someone assume your sexuality that caused you such anger?” The question was simple yet Angela felt her mouth go dry and her mind falter. All her adult life people made the same assumption, it wasn’t uncommon. Thin arms circled around herself in an effort to muster some form of comfort or strength; she wasn’t sure which.

“Maybe because I just let them think that. I’ve never corrected anyone about it before. I’ve always been private about my, preference.” Angela rubbed the flat of her palm against her arm and cradled her elbow some as she spoke. “I felt like I was being pressured, like I was a child again and didn’t have a say in the matter. I’ve never told anyone that I like women before, to me it isn’t something that is important. It’s just a small part that that contributes to who I am like being blonde or right handed. Having him make it such a huge deal, like it was the only important factor upset me. It...also made me realize that maybe I’m a bit lonely.” The Swiss doctor felt like she was babbling yet everything she said made the anxious knot bound around her chest loosen.

“Perhaps now that everyone knows you will no longer feel such isolation,” placing a hand on Angela’s petite shoulder Zenyatta gave it the most tender of squeezes. “I think that you should get some rest, you’ve made such great strides today, I am certain you will feel better when you wake up in the morning and if not you know where to find me.” Angela remained where she sat for a long moment before she managed to push herself onto her feet. Sleep was a powerful recovery aid, as a doctor she was well aware of that fact and saw the logic in Zenyatta’s comment. There was nothing that could possibly help her with the emotions she felt, the only solace waiting for her was be under a pile of blankets completely unconscious until the morning.

Angela made her way back to her living quarters, the walk felt exceptionally long despite the fact she only had to walk two doors over. The blonde passed through her office leaving a trail of discarded garments as she went. A boot slid against the filing cabinet, her hair tie flung itself god only knew where and her long, white lab coat crumbled to the floor just outside of her bedroom. The inky blackness that greeted the Swiss doctor as she entered the room was soothing, everything was in its place and smelled of wildflowers and fruit; tension melted off of her shoulders and quickly the blonde sank into bed ignoring the fact it was still very early and she still had paperwork to finish. Angela knew that her eyes had only been shut for a few minutes before she rolled over and stared off into the darkness, a rhythmic blur of soft green pulsed steadily against the pitch, brightening the obscurity of shadows until the blonde could no longer deny that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Cold, faux leather gripped the blonde’s hot skin pulling it tauntly as she slid into place behind a small desk. The monitor in front of the Swiss doctor continued to blink soundlessly until she raised her hand and tapped the screen with the pad of her fingertip.

Fareeha cradled her sharp jaw lazily as she rested her face in the palm of her hand, the expression she wore was one of exhaustion and boredom, the video delay was only a few seconds but in that time Angela saw her friend’s face light up and the fatigue in her warm brown eyes melt away the second their connection was established.

“Hey,” a cool, hushed voice filtered out through the doctor’s speakers, Fareeha was whispering. “Didn’t mean to wake you, I figured you’d be up for a while but,” she gestured at the screen, blue armor came into the camera’s view. “Your hair’s down. I just can’t sleep. Zarya’s snoring, Tracer keeps sleep blinking and Lucio is listening to whale songs. Loudly.” The taller woman rolled her eyes some while the corner of her lips pulled into a lopsided grin.

Angela found herself subconsciously threading her fingertips through her pale, messy tresses at the mention of her hair. “Sounds rough. Shove some pillows under Aleksandra, roll Lena onto her stomach and unplug the frog once he falls asleep. Problems solved.” Confidence betrayed the girlish tone that the older woman used to address the Egyptian security chief. Fareeha inched closer to the camera and sighed happily.

“Hey,” Fareeha stated again as if starting the conversation over. “Mum told me that you got the meals I left you in the freezer.” Angela blinked rapidly at the admission, did that mean Ana knew the note that Jesse read was from her daughter or was it something she figured out only after she had left the kitchen? Did that mean Ana told Fareeha everything that happened, everything that was said? A grimace soured the doctor’s expression and for a moment she forgot the other woman could see her face.

“Yeah I got them,” Angela looked away from the screen while she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed nervously at the dry skin. “What else did she tell you?”

Fareeha went quiet, her thick brows knitted together as if she were weaving some mental tapestry with the utmost concentration. Angela felt her stomach tighten the longer the other woman went without answering her. “She said that it wasn’t her place to tell me and honestly I was sort of nervous to ask you what happened yesterday,” Fareeha cleared her throat with a small grunt and looked away from the camera. “I’m still nervous.”

Thin fingertips reached out and for a moment Angela pinned her fingertips along the translucent screen that displayed the image of the woman before her, she wanted to touch the reassuring warmth of her cheek but only emptiness and disrupted data crept along the tips of her trembling digits.

“It’s something I would rather tell you in person. It’s too important to tell you this way. It’s not bad but it might change how you think of me.” There was a certain amount of sadness that she couldn’t suppress in her tone, so many things were going to change because of something she had no control over, she knew that Fareeha wouldn’t care if she was gay but she wasn’t certain how comfortable the other woman would still be around her given that fact. Dark eyes roamed over the screen searching for answers and when none came the tall, muscular Egyptian picked the halo screen up and moved it so that it rested on her pillow were she curled up next to it and sighed.

“Whatever it is, it won’t change us.” A faint smile played at the edges of the sun-kissed woman’s lips, her voice was soft and comforting, everything that the smaller woman needed to feel at ease. Angela eased into her own bed, the translucent video screen followed her and projected at such an angle that it felt like she was lying face to face with the other woman. “I miss you.” The words were barely an utterance yet the weight behind them was devastating heavy.

“Hurry back home to me, Fareeha. I miss you too.” Came the whispered reply. Hushed, shallow breathing made up the remainder of the conversation as both women drifted off to sleep together, miles apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter nearly murdered me but I hope you all enjoyed it. Valentine's Day really slowed me down in my writing process and I had a hard time building back steam to finish it. But here it is and I am rather pleased with how it turned out. 
> 
> Some of you might be curious, why the hell I made Angela a Demisexual-homoromantic instead of just a homosexual woman... well... you see as a writer you are supposed to draw from your own experiences. I myself fall into the Ace spectrum. Ta-da I'm demisexual-homoromanic... I decided to make Angela share this trait with me because it actually works really well with how I portray the doctor. She isn't someone that I see sleeping around to "relieve" stress, she is very professional and always has been. For a grown woman to have never of had a romantic relationship and be as beautiful as she is, I figured it makes sense if she also falls into the Asexual spectrum. Representation matters, I know there is very little lesbian content in literature and even less that tackles other sexualities. I know this is just a fan fiction but out there somewhere is a person reading this that just softly gasped because their existence is being acknowledged for the first time in something they are reading.


	5. Affettuoso

“C’mon love, where’s the harm in it?” Lena’s jovial tone was grating on Angela’s very last nerve. It had been less than twenty minutes since the escort team had return to Gibraltar and the overzealous Brit hadn’t left her side once. It was irritating to say the least having the short-haired pilot bouncing around with excitement while she tried to administer a standard after mission check-up to no avail. Angela wasn’t exactly thrilled to discover Lena had already heard about her small meltdown and subsequent admittance of personal information, there was no point in denying the fact or trying to cover it up, what was said could not be unsaid and she had no reason to attempt otherwise; even if the younger woman was being painfully nosy and crass. The only thing the blonde worried about was if Fareeha also knew and what her thoughts were on the subject. 

“Absolutely not,” a deep frown marred the field-medic’s otherwise pretty face and only got worse when she spoke. “I am thirty-seven years old Lena, I don’t do dance clubs. That’s not something I am interested in.” Genuinely it wasn’t, the very thought made the doctor’s stomach clench in the most unpleasant way possible. Loud music, a throng of bodies so close there was no room to breathe, even if she had been younger Angela knew that a place such as that wasn’t somewhere she wanted to spend her precious free time. 

Lena tossed her head back at the reply and jeered nasally. “What’s not to be interested in, lots of pretty lady-folk, good tunes, and liquor. That’s how I met Em ya know, popped over to a local pub, got myself a drink the next thing I know I’m have myself a right good time with this amazing little ginger nut. A week later, we were dating.” The smile that the smaller woman beamed in Angela’s direction did little to ease the doctor’s disinterest in the topic at hand. 

“No,” the blonde outright refused the very notion of the idea. “It’s out of the question. I don’t want to hear of it again Ms. Oxton.” Angela rolled her eyes some and tossed her clipboard onto the surface of a nearby cot. “Now if you don’t mind, I do have other people that I need to tend to.” A slender index finger gestured towards the door but the brunette remained rooted where she sat with a grin plastered on her freckled face. 

“Nope, not gonna give up on you so easy there doc,” Lena’s nose crinkled with absolute delight as she giggled and swung her legs back and forth, completely ignoring the older woman’s request for her to drop the subject. “Listen, I know how you must feel right now. Coming out can be really difficult and I know that I’m putting you in a real spot of bother but it comes from a place of caring. You never get out, Ange. The only way you’re gonna meet someone is if we get you outside of these walls and introduce you to new people. You can’t expect love to just fall into your lap, it’s not like some rom-com where your best friend ends up being your soul mate,” Lena trailed off for just a moment, she brought her thin fingertips up to her pointed chin and tapped it in contemplation. “Although, Fareeha does ping on my radar a wee bit, have you ever thought about––” Lena didn’t finish her sentence, if looks could kill the brunette knew she would be dead and buried. Even with the ability to literally reverse the flow of time around her the freckled-Brit knew it was too late to take back her comment. Angela glared at the younger woman from where she stood, the curve of her back was hunched ever so slightly and her hands gripped the ledge of a medical trolly hard enough that her knuckles were stark white. The expression on the doctor’s face was unreadable, her nostrils were slightly flared and her jaw was clenched so tightly the other woman could see the muscles working under her skin. There was something almost wild dancing in the sharp blue depths of the field-medic’s eyes, something that Lena decided that she really didn’t like. 

Angela steeled her resolve against the sudden spike of hostility that ravaged her composure and slowly eased herself upright. Carefully the doctor released her grasp on the metal handle that kept her from lunging at the younger woman and very sedately pushed back her bangs with both hands. “Lena, I appreciate the sentiment of your words but that doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you want. Ja, we’re both,” Angela hesitated, slender brows knitted together then furrowed deeply as she searched her vernacular for a term that didn’t make her feel branded; awkwardness fouled whatever precise diction the woman chose as her throat tightened and her voice came out strained. “homosexual,” the word hung in the air with an almost palpable malaise, it was evident that Angela wasn’t comfortable discussing her orientation but she remained steadfast and continued anyway. “But I’m not you. I can’t just go to a bar and pick someone up. I’m not looking for that, I don’t want that sort of relationship. Sex isn’t something I care about, I lack the drive and the desire for such things. What I want, takes time. It has to be built and maintained.” Angela cupped her mouth closed and squeezed her eyes shut, she didn’t want to finish her thoughts, any utterance she spoke would jeopardize everything she held dear, the frustration she felt was almost too much and caused havoc on her emotions, one moment she was livid and in the same breath she wanted to curl up and cry. 

“Whoa, Angela, love, it’s okay. I’m sorry, alright? I got a bit carried away. It’s just really exciting to have someone that I can relate to, share stuff with. I wasn’t really thinking before I spoke, I really cocked up on that. No need to get upset though, alright? I won’t force you to do anything that you don’t want.” Lena blinked forward so that she was next to the blonde, the overly-hastened movement was unnecessary but the brunette enjoyed the sensation of translocating and used it whenever possible. A small gloved hand took the doctor by a dainty shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. Angela had never really been close with Lena, even when they worked together in the past. The younger woman was chatty and rambunctious, their personalities clashed in every way possible which kept the blonde from really trying to make a connection with the other woman. Even in this moment with Lena’s hand on her shoulder Angela didn’t feel a kinship but she did recognize the gesture and relaxed momentarily into the touch. 

“Thank you for that,” with a nonchalant shrug the Swiss doctor rolled her shoulder away from the contact as politely as possible. Lena took a step back in response but showed no signs of being offended. “Tell me, how is you just got back from a mission and already know about me,” Angela pinched the bridge of her nose and sat down on the nearest medical bed. “Who told you?” 

The younger woman chewed on her bottom lip for what felt like ages before she cleared her throat. “Um, well. Winston did. Then Jesse. Then Reinhardt,” Lena blew a strand of hair away from her eyes as she elaborated. “Winston called me right after everything happened. He was being a real prat but I did talk some sense into him. Then Jesse called, he was just so ecstatic. We were on the com-system for hours just chatting about how he was so proud of you for standing up for yourself and how relieved you must feel after being in the closet for so long. Um, then the next day Reinhardt rung me up. He felt really guilty about what happened. I’ve never heard him talk so softly in my entire life.” 

“Does Fareeha know?” Desperation broke each fragile syllable that meekly tumbled away from the blonde’s lips. Lena shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, the tension in the room was not what she had anticipated when she invited the older woman out for drinks but she understood the seriousness of the situation. Angela was clearly terrified about what was to come and the more she put herself into the older woman’s shoes the more she began to regretted making the joke about the two hooking up.

“I think so,” leather-clad shoulders pinched together in a stiff shrug. “but I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone called her except her mum but I wasn’t with her the whole time, so I’m not certain.” An abrupt knock on the med-bay door disrupted the conversation and left it unfinished. 

“Everything okay in there,” a soft, polite voice called out from the other side of the archway. “I’ve been out here waiting for a while now. Not that I am complaining or anything but if you need a second opinion I’m your guy.” The metallic door that lead into the medical area slid open revealing Lucio with his back facing the women, he wasn’t one to invade people’s privacy but he did have a schedule to keep and needed the doctor to clear him so he could begin his tasks. 

“No, no, everything is alright. Lena was just leaving. Sorry to have kept you waiting, come right in.” Angela tossed an apologetic glance towards the plucky brunette, in return Lena chuckled and gave two thumbs up as she headed towards the exit. 

“You two take care, the cavalry needs to call her girlfriend before she assumes I’m dead. See ya!” The sentence came out in one rushed breath as Lena zipped away leaving only blue streak as evidence she had ever been in the room. Lucio shook his head some at the brunette’s antics then quickly began to remove his shirt so that Angela could begin her inspection. Unlike her previous patient the Brazilian disk jockey as collected and helpful. He answered her questions honestly and to the best of his abilities and above all else he didn’t feel the need to make smalltalk while she examined him for injuries and fatigue. 

“How are you legs,” Angela found herself asking while she drew several small samples of blood from the young man’s right arm. Lucio just flashed a smile and remained as still as possibly while she worked. “That’s good. Any stiffness in your hips? You will let me know if you feel anything is in need of repair won’t you?” The Swiss doctor busily turned away from the young man on the cot, as much as she wanted to work on the results right away she wasn’t certain that she would be able to finish the other check-ups and her lab reports within two hours, the vials of blood would need to be refrigerated until she was certain. 

“Of course Doctor Ziegler, you’ll be the first one I tell if my prosthetic devices need anything. Although I’m not really looking forward to them getting a tune up.” Lucio tugged on the end of one of his bound dreadlocks wearing a sheepish expression, Angela sensed the unease in his voice and turned around offering a smile. 

“It won’t be that bad I promise you. I took the liberty of acquiring a spare. It isn’t advanced as yours but it will get you around.” It was her job as a doctor to make sure everyone was taken care of on a physical level but it was the little things that she went out of her way to do that nurtured the spirits of her teammates and filled her with a sense of accomplishment. 

“You really are the best Miss Angela! I don’t need anything fancy, as long as I can hop around I’m happy. Thank you so much!” Lucio flashed a toothsome grin at the older woman as he climbed off of the small medical bed and pulled his shirt back on. “If you want I can send Aleksandra in next, I’m pretty sure she is ready to get her exam over with.” Lucio was such a helpful young man, in the back of her mind the blonde wish that she still kept a jar of lollipops in the clinic so that she could offer a small reward for his good behavior. 

“That would be splendid. Thank you.” Angela closed her eyes for just a moment and rolled her stiff shoulders while she let out a deep centering breath. The former weightlifter wasn’t a difficult patient but she did have several quirks. Many included questioning every little step in the examination process, she had gotten better in the last few months but still insisted on getting an inclusive diagnosis report at the end of her visit. It was tedious, unnecessary and frankly made Angela want to throttle the Russian woman for doubting her professional prowess. At least Zarya wasn’t as bad as Fareeha. Just the thought of having to give the Egyptian rocketeer a check-up made the blonde whisper a brief prayer in Hebrew. 

Ten or so minutes passed and Aleksandra still hadn’t shown, it wasn’t like the woman to keep the doctor waiting, with each passing moment the blonde began to feel a subtle wave of anxiety constrict her chest. It was irrational yet the sensation caused the medic to pace the length of the room; occasionally she glanced between the door and the clock mounted on the wall. After a few laps around the clinic Angela decided that she would wait five more minutes before she used the intercom system to page the bothersome, pink-haired brute until then the doctor busied herself with prep work. A faint muted automatic whirr drew the blonde’s attention back to the sickbay door as it finally slid open revealing a tall, lean figure with dark hair and warm brown eyes holding a platter of food in one hand and plastic bag in the other. Fareeha looked exhausted, her normally sharp cheeks seemed hallowed out and more pronounced, dark-bluish circles tinted both eye sockets; even the udjat under her right eye seemed to sag with the weariness that she felt. 

“Fizkul't privet,” Fareeha attempted to greet the smaller woman in Russian only to sound ridiculous as she did so. Flashing a grin the lanky Egyptian made her way across the room in what seemed like three brisk strides, unceremoniously she dropped the bag she was carrying onto a nearby cot then placed the tray that was in her other hand down with a bit more care. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Aleksandra insisted that I go before her. She’s wrecking the refrigerator right now, Lucio didn’t pack enough rations for the mission and she is acting like she hasn’t eaten in a month.” Fareeha rolled her eyes some then made a show of flinging herself across an empty bed with an exaggerated groan. 

“Oh,” Angela felt the words leave her mouth before she had the chance to put emotion into them, the response was lackluster and wholly automatic. “Sorry, sorry,” flaxen bangs scattered across the doctor’s face haphazardly as she gave her head a shake in some attempt at gathering her wits. “You caught me off-guard is all, liebling. I didn’t expect you to come for your check-up yet.” It was the truth, more or less. The blonde hadn’t expected the Egyptian woman, she wasn’t prepared for the conversation that they needed to have and that made her a nervous wreck. 

“Good thing I’m only here to bring you lunch then,”Fareeha gave a chuckle and patted the spot next to her, the cordial sound of her mirth and the welcoming gesture was like a blanket wrapping around the older woman; shielding her from her own unease and self-doubt. Angela pursed her lips some as she regarded the younger woman’s choice of words as she approached the cot. Fareeha caught the expression and reacted as quickly as she could before the doctor could say anything. Thrusting her hand outward she motioned towards the tray that she had brought with her. Two rather pathetic looking gyros sat on the plate, tzatziki sauce and a heap of tomatoes oozed out from the sides of the barely folded pita bread; it wasn’t the most appetizing thing the taller woman had ever made but it was a sweet gesture nonetheless. “I wanted to heat up whatever lunch was left in the freezer but Aleksandra had already gotten to it. I barely managed to make these without her wrestling them away from me. Seriously though, if we are ever in a survival situation she will eat one of us. One-hundred percent certain.” 

Firm springs whined as Angela eased next to Fareeha on the cot giggling slightly, a calloused hand gripped the back of the older woman’s lab coat and gave it a small tug; wordlessly imploring her to lay down. There was a moment of brief hesitation followed by a sense of unexplained guilt, silently Angela reclined back until her feet dangled off the ground and gravity pulled her messy bangs away from her face. “You aren’t getting out of your checkup just because you brought me lunch. That has never worked and you know it.” A faint smile claimed the Swiss doctor’s features, brightening her demeanor considerably. 

“Pffft, whatever. One day you will forget and I will rub it in your face.” Bronze fingertips twitched deviously but made no attempt of harassing the blonde, at least not yet. 

“The day I forget will be the day I rip up my many, many, many,” Angela smirked and prodded the younger woman’s with the heel of her palm. “doctorates. Until then keep your head in the clouds, captain.” It was so easy to just relax around the younger woman, physical contact and teasing just came so natural that she almost didn’t realize her playfulness until Fareeha made a grab for her hand and held it reassuringly. 

“All joking aside, I know we need to talk. If your ready, am here to listen,” A rough thumb brushed back and forth along the ridge of pale knuckles, slow and soothing. “If your not ready, am still here. We don’t have to talk about it just yet if you don’t want to.” 

Angela grimaced. There was no point in prolonging the anxiety that she felt just because she wasn’t sure of what to say, in the back of her mind she was fully aware that the longer she waited the more likely Fareeha would just find out from someone else and that thought made her even more troubled. “I’m...” her breath came out shaky and uneven as she began. “not sure how I want to word this,” the blonde chewed on her bottom lip and rolled so that she was able to hold her friend’s gaze. “We’ve known each other for so long and you know so much about me that I’ve never told anyone else. I never meant to keep this from you but it is something that I’m not really comfortable with myself. I’ve never considered it something important but now that other people know I just need to tell you myself before someone else does and paints a different picture of me,” Angela took a finalizing breath then spoke. “I’m romantically attracted to women.” 

The tall, Egyptian woman blinked rapidly as if ingesting the information and for a moment Angela expected her to furrow her heavy brows in confusion or pull away. “You’ve told me this before, malak,” Fareeha explained in a very gentle tone while moving even closer to the older woman, the heat radiating off of her toned body was a stark contrast to the chilled air of the sickbay. 

“I’m sure I would remember telling you this.” Angela pinned her wrist against her forehead combing her memories for any recollection of a similar event. Nothing came to mind and her expression reflected that. Fareeha wanted to laugh at the situation even though it was entirely unfunny. 

“I was fifteen and it was the annual Christmas party. It was the year mum decided to send me to boarding school and I only came back to the base for holidays,” sadness crept into the security chief’s cool tenor, the blonde medic distinctly remembered how much Fareeha had hated going to school in a different country and how hard it was for her to adjust, especially since she couldn’t use her real name and often forgot her alias when her peers addressed her. “I remember you were really pissed off because someone kept moving your Menorah and Jesse had eaten all of the latkes you brought.” 

Angela nodded her head some. “I vaguely remember that party, that was the year Hanukkah started on Christmas Eve and everyone wanted me to share some of my traditions with the group.” Still the Swiss doctor couldn’t recall anything about that night in great detail; everything was hazy and distorted with age. Doubt lingered even when the younger woman gave her a pointed expression of disbelief. 

“I thought you were joking at first but you really don’t remember,” a snort escaped the dark-haired woman as she dragged both palms across her face. “Remind me to never have important conversations with you when you’ve been drinking.” The lopsided grin faded from the sun-kissed Egyptian’s face after her amused comment. “I guess that means you also don’t remember what I said that night,” Fareeha casually rolled one of her heavily muscled shoulders but a subtle stiffness in the motion betrayed the cool mannerism. “I was so young and stupid, basically I asked if it was okay if two girls liked each other and you told me it was perfectly normal. Then you admitted to me that you like women too but I couldn’t tell anyone because you didn’t feel comfortable with other people knowing. I’ve kept that secret for seventeen years, Angela. Impressive right?” 

Silence filled the space between the women as they rested side by side. The news came as a somewhat pleasant shock which ushered relief through the petite blonde’s chest and throughout her limbs. Every part of her relaxed when she realized that she had absolutely nothing to worry about, the sense of tranquility made her feel almost lightheaded but definitely giddy and very appreciative. 

“You’re the best, liebling. Truly!” Thin arms attempted to tug the wall of muscle but Fareeha didn’t budge instead the taller woman shifted her weight and flung herself on top of the blonde; grinning broadly. 

“I almost forgot,” splotches of ruddy heat darkened the pale complexioned doctor’s cheeks and ears as she felt herself react to being playfully pinned. “I brought you a gift,” Fareeha scampered gracelessly off of Angela, nearly kneeing her in the face as she rolled off of the bed and tumbled to the floor; even with all her military training the younger woman still managed to be a clumsy oaf when she was overly excited. Spastically the dark-haired security chief scooped up the plastic bag from where she had dropped it then flung herself back onto the cot, Angela let out an overly-girlish shriek as she bounced from the contact. “Milka with whole hazelnuts and the kind with raisins.” Fareeha all but shoved the chocolate bars into the other woman’s hands. 

Ever since she was a little girl Angela had always enjoyed sweets. In her household good behavior had always been rewarded with nibs of chocolate especially her mother’s favorite brand; Milka. It wasn’t fancy or packaged in elegant boxes, the wrappers were a garish shade of light purple with a childish depiction of a cow stamped underneath the name yet the doctor preferred it over all other Swiss confections. No one except for Fareeha knew how much she enjoyed the cheap, mass produced chocolate, everyone always assumed that her palate was more refined but the truth of the matter was she had never outgrown the taste of childhood comfort. 

Angela didn’t bother to speak she let her actions talk for her. Thin digits worked at the seam of the package, each moment was regarded with delight as more and more of the lumpy brown candy came into view. Angela found herself lost in time, she was a little girl again sitting in her mother’s lap breaking off nut riddled chunks so that she could share her special treat. Automatically the first piece found its way to Fareeha’s lips, the blonde hadn’t even realized what she was doing until the younger woman opened her mouth and wordlessly accepted the offering. Angela stared, she was over come by a sense of wonderment and gratitude as she listened to the tiny hum of joy Fareeha made as she crunched down onto hazelnuts. The sound was satisfying as was watching the muscles in the taller woman’s throat constrict and slightly undulate when she swallowed. Just the sight of her friend truly relishing the taste of her favorite food made the blonde’s heart hammer rapidly in her chest. 

“I should just go ahead and marry you. You’re perfect.” Angela shook her head and laughed, heat was still radiating from her cheeks as she took a bite of chocolate, it was strange but she didn’t question it; she was enjoying herself far too much to bother to think. 

“So would I get to be a Ziegler or did you want to be an Amari?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I legit cried while writing the milka chocolate part. Also Angela was a pudgy child and no one can tell me otherwise.


	6. Pirouette

Haphazardly a cork flew high into the air with a resounding pop as Torbjorn made a show of opening yet another bottle of glögg. Angela had already had two glasses of the spiced wine and a cup of something that Reinhardt claimed was Glühwein but tasted of astringent rubbing alcohol and cloves; she wasn’t certain what he had done to prepare the drink but whatever it was she disliked it. The party was lively, every year the celebration seemed to have a larger and larger attendance and this year was no exception. Tinsel and holly decorated every feasible ledge within sight, despite the room being cramped and altogether too warm the atmosphere was pleasant, even the strike commander seemed to be lost in the merriment. 

“I’m sorry Angel cake but those taters you made were just so damn good! I couldn’t help myself,” the party had barely begun and already the latkes she had brought were gone thanks to a certain cowboy with a growing gut. Jesse for the most part looked genuinely apologetic even though his mouth was still filled with the last remnants of the fried potato pancakes. “C’mon darlin’ you can’t stay mad at me, where’s yer Christmas spirit?” Numerous bells jingled obnoxiously as the marksmen adjusted the brim of his ridiculous hat and smiled. 

The indignant expression the blonde made was almost humorous, small hands gestured at the man imploringly then curled inward motioning towards the sweater she wore. In the sea of red and green Angela stood out in her handsome blue jumper; silver dreidels and a large Menorah occupied every inch of her chest. Jesse’s grin faltered and his mouth pursed into a tight O shape; the young doctor felt she could almost pinpoint the exact moment when he realized his mistake. 

“I’m Jewish,” the statement came out somewhat slurred and far too loud but Angela didn’t seem to notice. “And those tubers or whatever you call them were latkes,” the man looked completely uncomfortable getting a drunken lecture from the petite woman but he didn’t dare interrupt her. “just tell me you didn’t eat them with ketchup or barbeque sauce. Please?” 

Jesse hesitated in his reply then as if he heard something perked up and pointed behind his shoulder with his thumb. “I think I hear Gabe callin’ me! I’m comin’ sir!” The cowboy dashed away from the thin medic, jangling fervently as he went. Angela couldn’t help but cup her mouth shut in order to restrain the verbose snort she felt coming, Alcohol always made her more vocal, affectionate and giddy, the slightest thing could send her into fits of laughter or have her yelling from across the room; it was just a flip of a coin when she was inebriated. 

A nearby throng of bodies moved rhythmically in time with some over-played Christmas song. Most of the people dancing were lower ranked agents that were familiar but no names came to mind right away, there were a few however the blonde recognized; Gerard and his wife, Amelie. Child-bride was more accurate a description if Angela was being honest with herself. No one was comfortable around the pair, the nature of their relationship was awkward considering how much older the man was and the fact he had known the sixteen-year old since she was a child. It was hard to imagine the dynamic working, much less genuine love being involved but that was none of her business and wasn’t her place to judge; Ana did that enough for both of them. The older woman had a knack for sensing people and whatever it was she felt from Gerard had convinced her to send her daughter to boarding school. 

“Where is Fareeha anyhow, Ana said she would be here.” The question wasn’t directed at anyone particular, a few of the nearby agents glanced in the doctor’s direction when she spoke and gave befuddled shrugs or simply ignored the inquiry altogether. It had only been six months since she had last seen her friend but she missed her immensely; writing letters and video chatting just wasn’t the same as being together in person. Sharp blue eyes darted around the room, the crowd was thickest around Christmas tree then thinned out towards the staircase that lead to the second floor. In prior years the youth generally kept close to the refreshment table or leaned against a wall to people watch but tonight Fareeha was nowhere to be seen. Angela scowled fiercely and began to shove party-goers out of her path only to have a man catch her by the arm and reel her back towards the dance floor. 

The Swiss doctor abhorred social events, certain things were expected of her and no amount of alcohol could make being forced to dance with a steady stream of men tolerable yet she attempted the task. High ranking members of global organizations and military personal as well as private contractors all attended the function and it was her job to remain professional even if all she wanted to do was go find Fareeha and drink hot cocoa until they were both sick. Song after song she was passed around until her head swam and she felt her skin grow uncomfortably hot. It took every ounce of civility to excuse herself politely rather than shove the man dressed in a uniform away from her. Next year she wasn’t coming, there was nothing Jack could do to convince her otherwise. 

By the time Angela managed to slip away people were beginning to open presents under the tree. It was a tradition that everyone in the base participated in, even the large majority of people that didn’t celebrate Christmas bought gifts for others. It was more about comradely and appreciation rather than the religion associated with it, no one took issue with the celebration despite the diversity of beliefs within the group; it was a day off and no one could complain about that. The blonde took the opportunity to escape while everyone was clustered together in the far corner of the room. Willowy legs felt nonexistent as the young doctor bound halfway up the steps then stopped. Cool, blue eyes scanned the area from the elevated advantage point and still there was no trace of the Egyptian girl. That left very few places that she could be hiding herself. 

“You know it’s really hard to get you alone.” A soft-spoken voice came from somewhere behind the petite blonde as she stepped outside onto one of the many balconies of the second story. The chilled night air did little to sober the Swiss medic as she turned to face the speaker yet the hazy, lightheaded sensation captured just behind her eyes persisted; whatever was in that damned Glühwein was effecting her body far more than what she normally allowed. 

“Fareeha,” a long-legged, all too gangly Fareeha stood in front of Angela, it was astounding what six months could change. The last time she had seen the sun-kissed youth her face had been rounder and she had been at least a good foot shorter but now they stood nearly even in height and her face had slimmed considerably revealing extremely high, sharp cheekbones; even her jawline seemed more angular and cut. “Get me alone? But I’ve been looking for you all night, liebling!”

Fareeha scoffed some and folded her arms over her chest as if unconvinced. “Not very hard then,” she retorted in a surly manner, the tone captured Angela’s attention and made her stand up a bit straighter. “That wasn’t fair of me,” the fifteen-year old deflated, instinctively she brought a hand to the golden beads in her hair and chewed on the edge of her bottom lip. “I tried talking to you a couple of times but you were busy being mad at Jesse then I didn’t want to bother you when you were dancing.” Fareeha shrank in on herself and Angela couldn’t but but notice just how broad her shoulders had become. Had she always looked like that or was it something new? 

“I wish you would have come to me sooner, you’re my favorite interruption and I will always make time for you. Even if you think I’m busy,” the blonde paused briefly then pulled the younger girl into her arms and squeezed her affectionately. “I can tell something is the matter. What’s on your mind?” 

Atop the balcony the pair could see unhindered for miles, the skyline was pitch with pinpricks of dazzling light flickering across the celestial mantle. Frigid wind tussled their hair and drew tones of varying shades of reds to the surface of their skin from the cold, the silence between them made the wintery chill all the more harsh but Angela ignored it all and gently cupped Fareeha’s face in both hands urging her to speak. 

“Nothing,” it was a lie, the doctor could tell by the way the girl avoided eye contact and furrowed her thick brows. “I mean it’s stupid. You’ll probably just laugh,” the pointed expression the blonde gave Fareeha made the lanky youth flinch and reconsider her words. “It’s just.” Fareeha pushed away from the slightly taller woman as gently as she could manage then took several steps towards the edge of the railing. Both arms slung over the icy metal and the girl curled against the bars for support, even with the sweater she wore there was no doubt the stinging cold was permeating her outerwear and siphoning away the heat in her body. 

“What is it? You know you can tell me anything,” Angela remained where she was standing giving the schoolgirl some personal space. “Did you want to go inside where it is warm and talk?” The words had barely left her lips before Fareeha whirled around shaking her head rapidly. 

“No,” honey brown eyes went wide and the expression the dark-haired girl wore was imploring. “I don’t want to go in, I’m scared someone will overhear us. Especially mum, I don’t want her to know,” Fareeha turned back around and stared out at the frozen landscape below, timid sounds caught in the back of her throat for several long minutes but Angela just waited patiently until she was able to form a coherent sentence. “Is it normal if I like girls instead of guys?” 

Angela could feel her face contort from the seriousness of the question, she hadn’t expected that topic to ever come up in conversation and was blindsided completely. “Of course it is,” despite being less than sober the blonde managed to push past the hazy blanket that attempted to capture her wit. “A lot of people are homosexual, there is nothing to be ashamed of,” Angela trailed off for a moment. “There is also no shame in keeping your preference to yourself, that’s your business and no one has the right to know unless you are ready to tell them. I –” glossy teeth sank into the curve of her bottom lip. “I’m romantically attracted to women too if that makes you feel any better. Like I said it isn’t uncommon,” taking a few steps forward the Swiss doctor wrapped Fareeha in another embrace and hugged her from behind. “I’ve never told anyone that, I promise to keep your secret if you keep mine.” She felt the girl in her arms nod then turn in place and burrow into the warmth of her chest. 

“I think I’m in love.” Fareeha whispered without any clarity to her statement. A slender eyebrow arched upward with curiosity, even though the pair talked often the sun-kissed youth had never mentioned anything of this nature. The last time they spoke she had candidly admitted she was having difficulty making friends and her roommate was a demon spawn that broke her things and played horrible pranks on her. It was encouraging hearing the small Egyptian bring up something pleasant then again possibly it wasn’t if whoever she had a crush on treated her poorly. 

“Is it someone at school?” Angela asked in a kind yet teasing tenor, when the girl shook her head no the blonde felt her vision swim slightly and her pulse spike. 

“It’s you,” sorrow filled the dark-haired girl’s pitch as she pinned her hands against the older woman’s shoulders and pushed back, Angela however refused to let her go. “I know it’s so stupid and I am such a dumb brat for liking you. You’re my friend. I didn’t want this, I don’t want these feelings, I don’t want to ruin anything between us but I can’t help it. I know I don’t have a chance with you, I never will have a chance with you but I just had to tell you because I couldn’t bare the thought of keeping this to myself. I feel so guilty every time I touch you, every time we talk. I’m so stupid, I don’t know why this happened. I’m so sorry.” Tears left a glossy path on dark skin that shimmered in the faint light of the stars. Angela couldn’t bring herself to hurt Fareeha, she would out grow the silly crush and forget all about this night, the least she could do for her was put her at ease; it was the best gift she could think to give. 

“There is no need to be sorry or guilty, liebling. You are so much braver than you’re giving yourself credit for. And who is to say you don’t have chance, only time will tell us what our future holds and besides –” Angela felt herself slip back to the present as she leaned forward and uttered the exact same words she had seventeen years ago. “Angela Amari has a pretty nice ring to it actually.” 

Synapses of the brain often had delayed responses when recalling memories especially ones that were older or were in someway altered. But the remarkable thing about synapses was the fact that once they were fired the chemical reaction wouldn’t cease until the desired information was retrieved. Sometimes this took minutes, other times days, it shouldn’t have caught the doctor off-guard when the flashback surfaced but it did. Angela could feel a tightness in her chest and heat rush to the surface of her skin, how could she have forgotten something so important; part of her felt ashamed while the other half continued to marvel in how fast her pulse was racing. 

Shaky fingertips snapped off another nip of chocolate and brushed it against Fareeha’s bottom lip, there was a chuckle from the younger woman as she opened her mouth to accept the piece only to have the doctor yank it away at the last second. Angela smirked broadly and bit down into the confection earning herself a playful scowl from the security chief. 

There was a sudden startled gasp that drew both women’s attention to the front of the room, Fareeha and Angela were still laying side by side curled up against each other on an extremely small cot, the proximity was intimate and the scandalized expression on Aleksandra’s face reflected that. Muscles bulged as the weightlifter reeled, one hand pressed against the flat of her chest while her other hand splayed open and cupped her gawping mouth. Angela could feel bright green eyes drinking in the situation, it would have been so easy to just explain what was happening but instead the doctor and the captain bolted away from each other and scrambled to their feet; they hadn’t done anything to merit such a reaction yet she felt like she had just been caught doing something extremely inappropriate. 

“I can come back later if necessary.” Massive hands gestured in several directions at once then fell limply at the pink-haired woman’s sides. Fareeha barked out something that was supposed to sound like a laugh but was far too loud and held the faintest edge of nervousness to it. 

“No, it’s fine! I just came to bring Doctor Zeigler some lunch. I was about to take off.” A mixture of emotions flashed across Fareeha’s face as she spoke, her dark skin flushed noticeably with embarrassment the longer she stood still. Angela recognized the peculiar behavior, smoothing the front of her lap coat out years of training and professionalism took over. 

“Actually, she is just trying to get out of her check-up and thought she could bribe me with chocolates,” blue eyes flickered towards the Russian woman narrowing slightly. “If you wouldn’t mind could you please take a seat in my office while I get this one here to cooperate with me.” There was no room in the blonde’s tone for questions, the pitch she used was firm and commanding which Zarya respected; remaining silent the former Olympian nodded and headed across the hall into the consultation room. 

“I guess you are going to be hanging on to those doctorates of yours after all.” Tense shoulders began to relax and the tightness in the taller woman’s face was replaced with a weak but thankful grin. 

“Take your shirt off and get onto the table,” authority radiated from the older woman’s choice of words but the smirk that dominated her expression betrayed her tone as washed her hands in a small sink then pulled on a pair of vinyl gloves. “And of course I am keeping my doctorates. I wasn’t about to let you weasel your way out of this.” 

“I don’t see why this is necessary.” Fareeha tugged the heavy navy colored shirt she wore over her head as she lightly complained. Well defined muscles twitched with the action and the doctor began to gently prod and examine the exposed abdomen without hesitation. She was looking for signs of bruising, strain, internal bleeding, anything that was out of the ordinary. A soft groan caught the blonde’s attention when she slid her fingertips along the woman’s ribs and pressed near her kidneys. 

“You seem tender here. When I press does it hurt?” Angela kneaded the pads of her fingers against the spot only to receive another grunt. Concern swallowed the doctor’s features as she glanced up and studied the younger woman’s face. 

“A little,” Fareeha stated rather nonchalantly then sighed. “Mostly it just feels nice, my back has been hurting a lot lately.” Tense shoulders rolled together and the dark-haired Egyptian eased away from the doctor’s grasp. 

“I see,” delicately the Swiss doctor re-focused her attention on the area that caused Fareeha to gasp even though she had just pulled away. “Maybe I can administer something to help with the discomfort,” warm hands raked against the tenseness just below the other woman’s shoulder blade. “But first I need to get some blood samples from you,” Angela felt every muscle tighten as she spoke, Fareeha was simply the very worst when it came to needles, when she had been it child it was so much easier to have someone hold her down or to just sit on her but those options weren’t really available anymore. “Please don’t struggle, I don’t want to ask Aleksandra to come and keep you still.” The captain squirmed where she sat and let out a high pitched noise that the medic could only describe as a whine. 

“I will do it too!” A muffled yet very loud voice called out from across the hallway, how Zarya could hear the conversation was beyond Angela’s comprehension but knowing the weightlifter had her back was comforting in its own way; Fareeha deflated considerably then begrudgingly held out her arm. 

“Fine but you have to make it up to me.”Blue eyes glanced up catching the younger woman fighting back a grimace in favor of a very forced smile as she balled her hand into a fist several times pumping up her veins so the doctor would have an easier time drawing blood. Small, dexterous fingers tied an elastic band around the captain’s lean bicep then proceeded to gather up the vials she needed as well as the syringe and gauze. 

Angela strummed a swab with alcohol along the curve of Fareeha’s arm, the cool liquid made the taller woman bristle but the blonde eased her nervousness by leaning in close until her flat stomach pushed up against kneecaps. “How can I make it up to you, liebling?” Angela moved closer as she spoke, never once breaking eye contact. 

“Um,” Fareeha swallowed hard and turned her head away unable to keep her gaze locked with that of intense blue. “Can we have dinner together? Tonight.” The doctor had already stealthily inserted the needle into the younger woman’s arm and had removed the first vial of blood, she was beginning to working on the second when the breathy question hit the air. Lithe digits reached up, hesitantly the blonde cupped Fareeha’s cheek then turned her face so that they were looking at each other once more. 

“Of course,” Angela said as she finished with the last of the specimens that she needed and withdrew the syringe. “But that means that I can’t eat the lunch you made for me. Also,” a gloved hand gently stroked small circles along the taller woman’s jaw, both women sighed appreciatively. “We’re all done, I’m very proud of you.” 

Brown eyes went wide with disbelief, for a moment Fareeha simply flexed her arm as if testing it, when she was satisfied she rubbed at the spot then flashed a toothy grin. “Didn’t I used to get a lollipop for being a good girl? Whatever happened to that incentive?” The taller of the two remained seated on the examination table with her shirt off, the blonde was still positioned between her legs with the flat of her stomach firmly resting against the caps of her knees. There was no reason why her shirt was still off but it was. 

“Please. You were never actually a good girl, Fareeha. I just couldn’t say no to you when you pouted,” the petite field-medic removed her hand from the muscular, Egyptian woman’s face then peeled off the gloves that she wore at the wrist. “So dinner? Is it going to be a surprise or did you have something in mind?” Angela knew Fareeha, there was no way that she didn’t have something already planned but the real question was if she was willing to share that information. The younger woman hummed aloud and made a show of tapping her chin in mock-quandary. 

“How about sashimi, I can’t remember the last time we had that together.” It was true, the last time Angela could remember having anything remotely close to Japanese together was a bowl of ramen three months ago and even then it wasn’t the best because it came out of a package. The thought of having delicately sliced fish for dinner actually made her mouth water ever so slightly. 

“It’s been a while since we really had anything like that. I think it’s a wonderful idea,” the moment Angela walked away Fareeha climbed down from her perch and slid back into her navy blue top, without the doctor standing so close to her the room suddenly seemed extremely cold and uninviting. “I trust you remember my order, ja?” Habitually the blonde was already setting up medical supplies for the patient that waited next door as she spoke. Strong arms captured Angela from behind and pulled her close. There was a brief giggle followed by a content sigh as the older woman leaned into the touch before remembering she still had more work to do; the blood samples needed to be refrigerated yet she wasn’t ready to escape the summer-like warmth that shielded her from her tasks. 

“Of course. Yellowtail, octopus, salmon, and eel,” the security chief stated with the utmost confidence, giving the smaller woman one last squeeze Fareeha headed towards the door offering a lazy salute as she went. “How about I pick it up and we eat in your room. Around ten? Pick out a movie for us to watch and no horror. I swear Angela Ziegler if I sit down with a plate of raw fish and you queue up some gory murder flick, I’m leaving and taking all the food with me.” 

“I would never dream of subjecting you to horror when we are eating. I’m not that cruel. Also please don’t forget the –” Fareeha cut the doctor off before she could finish. 

“Seaweed salad and those beef kalbi gyoza that you like.” A full blown grin consumed the rocketeer’s expression leaving the blonde stunned at exactly how thoughtful she was even though she looked extremely smug while doing it. 

“Unless –” Again Fareeha cut the doctor off which earned her a fairly intimidating glare from the older woman, she ignored the cold gaze and continued beaming from ear to ear as she elaborated. 

“Unless they have takoyaki in which case get that instead,” Angela opened her mouth to say something else but Fareeha intercepted and finished for the blonde. “Mayonnaise. If they have takoyaki I’ll make sure to get the mayonnaise. I can’t believe how white you are sometimes.” The younger woman teased in an endearing tone as she stepped out of the sickbay and stared back at her friend waiting for a witty riposte. Slender arms thrusted towards the dark-haired brat in an incredulous motion. 

“Damn right you’ll get the mayonnaise and I will have you know it is customary to enjoy mayonnaise on many foods in Japan.” Angela sulked playfully then gave a wave as Fareeha shook her head and left. Across the hallway the pink-haired agent opened the office door and grinned broadly at the doctor. Angela turned in place and put away the blood samples before they ruined, when she had finished Aleksandra was already seated on the examination table with her shirt off. Just like Fareeha the Russian woman wore a black sports bra that held her modesty in place. 

“So Little Bird and Dove are finally nesting together, da?” Angela huffed loudly as she washed her hands and put on a new pair of gloves. The accusation was ridiculous. How was it people couldn’t keep their nose out of her personal affairs longer than ten minutes was beyond the doctor’s knowledge, she never understood the need for gossip and still didn’t. What was it about her love life that made everyone so excited? It was a mystery. 

“Hardly.” Angela murmured. Her voice was flat and devoid of mirth, Zarya however didn’t seem dissuaded by the tone. Instead the burly woman chuckled heartily and gestured around as the blonde poked and prodded her body for injuries. 

“I am not blind nor do my ears need checked. Angela Amari, wasn’t that what you said? Has good sound, yes?” The comment came with such amused gusto that the doctor felt like she had been physically struck across the face. Part of her wanted to ram the needle into the other woman’s arm but she restrained herself and cleared her throat. 

“I wasn’t being serious. Are you going to sit here and tell me that you’ve never made jokes like that with your best friend? It was just playful teasing.” Angela stated with assurance, Zarya couldn’t help but burst out laughing. The sound would have been infectious if it wasn’t for the fact it was directed towards the medic, the merry noise made her feel suddenly very self-conscious and hot in the face. 

“You must be pulling leg! I don’t think anyone jokes like that with just friend. You’ve been flirting with Little Bird without even knowing it. I am approving of this choice. She is much better than tiny assassin.” A large hand clapped against the doctor’s shoulder jarring her where she stood. The needle wiggled some and Zarya let out a tiny sound of displeasure. 

“It’s like I am working with children, stay still,” Zarya’s words irritated the doctor beyond measure. There was no factual proof to the words and yet Angela began questioning her actions through a sifter of pure logic. In a way she could see how some of the things she said and did could be misconstrued but the reality was she wasn’t coming on to her friend; there was no way that was actually occurring. “We aren’t dating.” Angela stated firmly, something about the way the words rolled off her tongue made her chest inexplicably ache. The Swiss doctor fell silent for a long while as did the pink-haired Russian, green eyes studied the smaller woman. The movements she made as she finished up with the examination faltered here and there, the blonde was clearly preoccupied and her bedside manner suffered for it. 

“Maybe you should. This is only suggestion. But know this, I’ve been with many men and women and never in my life have I had someone look at me the way you two look at each other. Again just suggestion, you both make for very cute love birds. If it wasn’t for that, I might have tried harder to steal your best friend away.” 

A stunned silence captured the thin, blonde, the inside of her mouth grew dry, her tongue felt swollen and daft but above all else her cheeks were set ablaze at the wild thought. There were so many elements to dissect from the younger woman’s words but she couldn’t process any of them; the longer she let the comments sink in the more her face brightened in color until it was no longer the faint pink hues of embarrassment but rather an unsightly purple that denoted anger. 

“I have things to tend to, please see yourself out Miss Zaryanova. Now.” Angela could tell the brutish woman was about to say something but withered at the harshness of her stare when she shot a glance over her shoulder at the younger woman, the report that she normally requested would find its way to her eventually, in due time. 

The hydraulic hiss of the med-bay door sliding shut left the blonde shaking where she stood. Small hands were clutched together so tightly the curve of trim nails pressed into the heel of her palm, leaving crescent marks in the skin. Vexation steered the Swiss doctor’s actions, even though she was angry she still managed to pour her attention into her work. Hours went by seamlessly, the various tasks of the day came to completion one after another yet the quiet rage trapped under her skin remained present. Angela tried to settle her frayed nerves but nothing she did seemed to calm the storm she felt hammering within. Zarya had flipped some unknown switch and for all her intellect the doctor couldn’t pinpoint what it was that drove her over the edge or exactly what emotion she was truly feeling. The sensation was similar to anger and for the first few hours that was exactly what the woman thought she felt but now that she was finished with her work she wasn’t completely certain. The hostility wasn’t directed at the implication of Fareeha and herself dating, it was true that they both were homosexual in orientation but that didn’t necessarily mean that they had to end up together. Pinching the bridge of her nose Angela groaned heavily and threw herself onto one of the small cots, gripping a pillow the blonde coiled up against the softness. Images of of the pink-haired woman smiling fondly at Fareeha played in her head, at first it wasn’t so bad, there was a dull ache that she couldn’t explain but she wasn’t angry, when the thoughts grew more detailed she could feel her pulse race and her breath hitch in the back of her throat. In all of her years Angela had never once actually thought about what would happen if Fareeha found a romantic partner. Petite shoulders sank and the expression the doctor wore was grim. She had never considered what her world would be like without Fareeha in it, images of someone else waking up next to the Egyptian woman instead of her, someone touching her friend made her skin crawl. Glancing towards one of the many nearby clocks Angela pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind as she observed the time; it was already nine in the evening and she needed to get ready for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Let me just tell you that I got some new medication that is just kicking my butt. One night I took it and I woke up in the morning and I had about a thousand words that I didn't remember writing on the fic. I literally had to re-read my own work to see what I had wrote. I kept going "oh my gosh stoned me is brilliant!" ...truly it was a marvelous time. 
> 
> Also just to clarify some things. Amelie is sixteen, the age of consent in France is fifteen. In no way do I condone marriage at such a young age but it happens, heck even in America some states have the age of consent that low. This was me gently poking at Blizzard for having such horrible story writing. At the age of twenty-three is when Widowmaker took out Ana Amari but Blizzard makes it seem that she and Gerard had been married for a very long time prior to that moment. This of course means that she was very young when she married and Blizzard should feel bad for not having a plausible goddamn time line. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, next up is the dinner date. I wonder how I can mess that up for everyone <3


	7. Adagio for Strings

Fareeha sat with Angela in her lap as she ran a brush through damp tangles of golden hair, each movement the younger woman made was meticulous and gentle yet firm enough to push through the wet, unruly knots. It wasn’t often the blonde allowed her hair to hang loose. In truth Angela disliked her long mess of flaxen tresses, she kept it at just the right length so that she could pull it away from her face and be done with it without much fuss, it always ended up styled the exact same.

“You know, you don’t have to do that,” the sound that came from the older woman was bashful and soft. “I can do it myself.” Angela didn’t want to admit that having her hair brushed was pleasant and somewhat soothing, each stroke was more enjoyable than the last and the blonde couldn’t help but feel guilty knowing the younger woman’s back still hurt. 

“I know you can do it yourself but I like doing it for you,” ribbed teeth glided through a section of hair that had already been brushed. “Did you want me to stop? I’ve been done for a while now, I just really like playing with your hair. The texture is so different than mine. It’s so much softer.” 

The Swiss doctor hummed slightly as she thought. “We don’t want the soup to get cold. Or the sashimi to get warm for that matter. Food born illness isn’t something to take lightly.” A long moment passed before Fareeha actually stopped brushing the older woman’s hair and sat the object down on the bed. Reluctantly Angela was the first to move, the backs of her bare thighs noiselessly peeled away from Fareeha’s warm lap; she hadn’t even noticed that her yellow shorts had ridden up allowing their skin to press flush against each other until that very moment. Slim fingers hooked under the cuffs of the yellow garment and tugged slightly so that more skin was covered by the very short cloth. 

Both women walked across the sleeping quarters towards the couch, the coffee table that resided in front of it held several bags of carry out still neatly packaged and sealed away. “Sorry again about showing up early. My timing has been really off lately,” Fareeha evaded the furniture entirely and sank down onto the cold metal floor, the long basketball shorts she wore did little to ward off the chill against her calves and knees. “I bet I didn’t even give you enough time to pick out a movie for us to watch.” It was true, Fareeha had shown up nearly fifteen minutes earlier than discussed which left the blonde in a bit of a pinch. Angela had already combed through her entire digital collection of personal favorites before she had taken a shower but there was nothing that fit the criteria she had been given, everything had excessive amounts of blood and gore whether it was a horror film or a medical documentary. She had planned on coming back to the computer once she was finished but seeing has how Fareeha was already there it was no longer a possibility. 

“Don’t worry about it Liebling,” slim fingertips pulled out a few items from one of the bags and placed the containers on the table. “We don’t need to watch anything, I prefer talking with you more. Next time we can figure out something to watch. Tonight lets just enjoy each others company.” A perfectly even smile spread across Angela’s as she continued to unpack their meal. Everything was in sets of two except the seaweed salad which was in a small dish for them both to share, Fareeha was far less delicate when it came to opening the other bag and simply tore into the plastic without care. 

“Can you mix the soy sauce and the wasabi together,” there was a glint of something almost sheepish in the way Fareeha asked the question, long, calloused digits steepled together then gestured towards the main platter that held a sizable lump of green and copious ribbons of ginger. “You always make it perfectly. Anytime I try to do it I either make it too strong or add too much soy sauce and ruin it. C’mon, you know you can’t say no to me.” Angela could feel herself smiling in the most unrestrained, genuine of manners towards the dark-haired engineer earning herself a broad, toothsome grin in return. 

“You’re ridiculous, you know that right?” The question was rhetorical yet the blonde could already see the younger woman forming a retort, rolling her eyes the medic attempted to seem pained and all too inconvenienced by the request as she began to stir the mustard dip together using her finger. 

“Did you want a set of chopsticks for that or are we at the point in our relationship were we can finger each others food and we don’t comment about it. Because I am pretty sure the last time I did that you called me a child,” out of the corner of her eye Fareeha glanced at the doctor, momentarily Angela paused, sat the mixture down on the table then wrinkled her nose with a huff. “I’m just saying, I don’t mind it but if I were a petty person I would totally point out that you are a hypocrite.” 

Angela couldn’t help but snort at the comment; everything about the taller woman radiated a sense of playfulness that made her feel at ease. “You my darling, are a jerk. See if I ever agree to have dinner with you again.” The words had barely left the blonde’s mouth before the woman beside her nearly shoved her off of the couch, dainty shoulders jostled with laughter as she fell backwards into the cushions and attempted to roll away from the Egyptian’s touch. 

“I will remember that when you have to take those mandatory days off and want someone to go off base with you,” Fareeha jokingly sulked and withdrew somewhat as she began to divide the food. Everything was evenly portioned out with the exception of the yellow tail sashimi which was left until the end of the meal for them to bicker over. “I don’t think I can even remember the last time you went out by yourself.” Sceptically reminisced the taller of the pair as she shoved a dumpling into her mouth and chewed it between large gulps of soup. The doctor was fairly sure if Ana could see how her daughter ate when she wasn’t around she would shoot her without hesitation. Both women had fallen into the bad habit of throwing manners aside when they were alone, it was somewhat liberating not having to play the part of the well-read doctor when she ate; slender fingers lifted the container of soup to her lips and the blonde took a long sip of the savory broth; sighing happily at the taste of silky tofu along with seaweed and green onion mingling together. Fareeha cracked open both pairs of chopsticks and offered one set to Angela then tucked into the salad that sat between them. For a long while both women ate in comfortable silence only to have the conversation start up again when the blonde pinched a piece of yellow tail and dipped one edge into the spicy mixture she had prepared earlier; the expression on her face unreadable. 

“Does Aleksandra ever hit on you?” The question seemingly came from nowhere but in truth it was the only thing that had been on Angela’s mind the moment she saw the younger woman. Happy distractions sidetracked the topic but now that a quiet had lulled between them she found it to be the perfect opportunity to voice her thought. A heavily muscled shoulder shrugged nonchalantly. 

“She does,” Fareeha stated calmly. “Honestly I can’t tell if she is joking half the time or being serious. Either way I tell her to knock it off, I’m not interested,” honey brown eyes glanced over at the blonde then narrowed slightly. “She isn’t bothering you now is she?” Sudden tension set in the taller woman’s jaw as she spoke, it was so easy for Fareeha to make light of the situation when it came to herself however the moment she thought that perhaps the same thing was occurring to Angela she became all too protective. 

“No, she isn’t,” white teeth sank into the buttery cut of fish then chewed pensively while watching Fareeha deflate when she answered the question. There was something about the way the younger woman relaxed that made the blonde’s stomach tighten, it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation just unfamiliar. “I’m pretty sure she is serious about her intentions towards you.” 

Fareeha scoffed and tossed her head back so that she could make eye contact with the woman on the couch. “Probably, but I’m not interested in casual sex. That’s all she has ever talked about when she came onto me anyhow. That’s not the sort of relationship I want. She can do whatever she pleases but I don’t want to be part of it,” a tiny smile made its way across sun-kissed features. “I’m really glad she isn’t doing the same thing to you though.” Angela could tell there was more that Fareeha wanted to say but the younger woman returned her attention to her food and continued eating instead. The Swiss doctor was grateful to a degree, not that she wanted the Egyptian woman to cut herself off or not speak what was on her mind but the topic had caused heat to settle in her cheeks and ears; even the blood in her veins felt close to boiling. Maybe she should have stabbed Aleksandra with the needle after all. 

“I’m glad she isn’t doing that either. I get very uncomfortable when I am put into situations like that,” it was the truth, back when Overwatch was in its prime nearly everyday she had to turn down lewd propositions. It wasn’t that the thought of being intimate completely repulsed her, she still had urges; granted rarely but she still had them. Unlike most people Angela didn’t think about sex in such simplistic terms, she didn’t crave and didn’t react even when she felt arousal; It wasn’t a necessity and was easily avoid or ignored completely. “I don’t even think I would know if I were interested in someone that way, I’ve never been in a romantic relationship before. That’s strange isn’t it, Liebchen?” Skilled digits maneuvered the wood utensils plucking up a rather thick slice of eel and delivered it to the medic’s parted lips. 

“Not really, I mean, at least with me it isn’t strange. I’ve never actually dated anyone before. I had this little, I don’t even know how to describe it when I was in my twenties but she tried to pressure me into doing things that I just didn’t feel comfortable with. So I broke that off. After that I just stopped trying. I mean, if I’m meant to be with someone then I think those types of feelings should happen over time. I mean I want whoever I end up with to be my –” The longer Fareeha spoke the softer her pitch became until she all but whispered. 

“Best friend.” Angela finished for the younger woman before she even realized what she had said. Both women stared at each other once the words finally stank in. Dark skin brightened to a rosy hue right in front of the doctor’s eyes, there was no denying that she had actually caused Fareeha to blush with her comment, that no outside variable had been the source which caused the flood of ruddy color painting sharp cheekbones aglow. It had been her and only her that made the taller woman break eye contact and jerk her head away nervously. 

Fareeha let out a shaky laugh, the sound for some reason made the blonde’s chest clench and stomach fill with ice. “I know you didn’t mean us,” a calloused hand pointed towards the shared plate of sashimi on the table in an attempt to change the subject. “You ate one already?” Everything about the younger woman screamed that she was forcing herself to remain collected, brown eyes darted away and the expression on her face wavered, she was struggling, drowning in her own emotions, thoughts and Angela had to save her. 

“I certainly did,” long legs unfolded as the blonde slid off of the couch and into Fareeha’s lap, a willowy arm slung around the rocketeer’s broad shoulders while the other plucked a cutlet of yellow tail from the platter. Carefully Angela dipped one end of the meat into the soy sauce and wasabi mixture and offered it for Fareeha to take. Angela had no idea was she was being purposefully cryptic. “It isn’t like you to hide things from me, what’s on your mind?” 

Thick black hair swayed as Fareeha fiercely shook her head. “I’m just not ready to talk about it,” a strong arm moved slightly, shifting so that she supported the blonde woman’s back as she leaned forward and captured the morsel of fish tucked between Angela’s forefinger and thumb. Fareeha hummed approvingly then relaxed. “I’m not hiding anything,” she managed to say between chews. “I’m just waiting for the right moment before I say anything.” Now it was Fareeha who was being purposefully cryptic but Angela didn’t care, she could tell that the Egyptian was at ease and that was all that mattered. Whatever it was that needed to be said could wait until another day, there was no need to rush. 

“Feed me, ah,” a giggle escaped the older woman as she tossed her head back and opened her mouth, dropping the previous topic effectively with the childish display. Chuckling softly Fareeha obeyed. “After dinner, I have something for that back of yours. I really wish I would have thought about getting a urine sample from you earlier, nothing showed in your blood work so I think it is safe to assume you just strained yourself but I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a kidney stone with all that milk you drink.” The comment was somewhat teasing though the blonde truly wished she had thought about running additional scans when she had the chance. 

“Objection! You told me that was a myth years ago! Too much salt causes kidney stones not milk. Nice try, Doctor Ziegler but I don’t forget anything you tell me.” Fareeha flashed a lopsided grin then held open her mouth to be fed, normally they squabbled over the pieces of fish but this arrangement was actually so much more enjoyable. 

Angela internally chastised herself for abandoning her chopsticks when she had claimed the younger woman’s lap as her new seat. There as something enjoyable about not having to worry about dropping the food in her grasp yet she knew her lack of etiquette was revolting. “Verdammt. You weren’t supposed to remember that. Anyhow, I have something that should help. Given it works within the expected perimeters,” ever since she was a child Fareeha had always been the Swiss doctor’s favorite test subject, when the tan complexioned engineer was a child she was twice as reckless when it came to her own safety and her mother didn’t care as long as whatever she broke mended properly. “And it’s not an injection, so you can relax.” A thin hand gave one of the taller woman’s biceps a squeeze, the hard, well-defined muscles relaxed ever so slightly then purposely flexed even bigger. Fareeha was ridiculous. 

After a long while dinner came to an end but neither women made an attempt to move, allowing their food to settle while they basked in a comfortable silence and wordlessly held in depth conversations with their eyes. Angela toyed with the golden beads that cascaded over Fareeha’s shoulder while the younger woman ran her fingertips in the blonde’s loose, scattered tresses; a pleasant dampness lingered near the roots. Bright blue eyes glanced in the direction of the mattress across the room and warm brown followed the suggestive stare, it was no wonder that the pair had the best synergy and were often coupled together on important missions; they were so in tune with one another words weren’t even needed to convey directions. The movement started off slow as Fareeha forced herself upright bringing Angela with her as she stood. Strong arms supported the medic effortlessly, pinning the blonde underneath her knees and around her waist as they made the short trek over to the bed. Gently the Egyptian woman sat Angela down then groaned and held her wrist against the sore spot on her back. 

“I know something is wrong if I can’t carry you without it hurting. I wonder what I did,” another groan escaped the dark-haired woman as she lowered herself onto the edge of the mattress. “So I am guessing since it isn’t a shot, it is either a pill or something I drink.” Expectantly Fareeha opened her mouth squeezed both of her eyes shut grimacing. 

“Neither actually,” with a small laugh Angela crawled on her hands and knees towards towards the nightstand by her bed retrieving a small plastic cup that held a gel-like substance. “I’m going to need you to roll up your shirt and lay on your stomach. I’m giving you a message.” The sticky pink colloid gurgled as the blonde eased the tips of her long, digits into the substance breaking the surface tension and scooped a palm sized portion into her hand. Angela nearly missed the expression the younger woman made as she vigorously rubbed the healing agent together with both hands to activate the chemicals. 

“So you’re telling me, I get a Swedish massage? I didn’t think this was going to be a spa day, should I go drink some water first or –” Fareeha didn’t have the chance to finish her quip, Angela pinched her arm just above her elbow then jerked her head forward pointing at the head of the bed with her chin, perhaps nose, the younger woman wasn’t completely sure but she understood the gesture regardless and flopped down onto her belly. 

“Shirt. And try not to squirm.” Obediently the taller of the pair rolled the hem of her tank top up so that it bunched around the tops of her shoulders and rested against her neck. Tenderly Angela began her task, upon contact the pink gel left behind a glossy sheen that was far more slick than the blonde had accounted for. Medical massage was not something Angela had trained for but the movements came naturally, when Fareeha had been younger the medic often would rub her legs to help her sleep when growing pains were at there worst and her mother was off base on missions. Tense sinew and pronounced knots dissipated under the doctor’s touch after what felt like an hour. Over and over again Angela reapplied the salve in the same general locations until the gelatin was gone. Thin fingertips no longer felt any sensation, nor did the entirety of her hands, a numbing warmth set at the carpals while a pleasant tingling esthesis traveled along the ulna and radius all the way to her elbow where it finally faded. 

“Can I spend the night? I don’t think I could make it back to my room if I tried,” a soft, relieved groan escaped the dark-haired woman as she mumbled into the fabric of Angela’s favorite pillow. “I can barely feel my legs. Thank you so much for doing this for me, malak.” Fareeha seldom used terms of endearment but when she did the blonde always found herself appreciative yet somewhat caught off-guard. Even though the former-solider was jovial and affectionate in private she seldom vocally demonstrated similar traits; actions spoke louder than words and the Egyptian lived by that motto so having her utter a pet name was a sweet gesture. 

Angela re-situated Fareeha’s top but remained seated on the backs of her thighs. “I don’t know, it would be pretty funny watching you try to wobble to your room,” a sudden movement of hips and strong calves sent the blonde toppling over with a shriek as the taller woman attempted to roll into the blankets. “You brat!” 

“You can’t make me leave! I’m already wearing my pajamas!” It was shocking exactly how fast a nearly six foot tall, fully grown woman could wriggle underneath three separate comforters and a bed sheet all in the span of a few seconds. The massive lump that was the younger woman coiled up to one side chuckling victoriously, Angela choked down a snort and debated on whether she wanted to beat the impish thirty-two year old with a pillow or tickle her. Slim hands gripped one of the larger down-filled cushions, the action was difficult due to the numbness the blonde still felt in her digits but she factored for the weakness and calculated she could still put enough strength in her swing if she built up enough momentum first. The fight that ensued lasted for only a few minutes before both women gave up and settled down next to each other. It was late and exhaustion proved to be a powerful motivational element when it came to switching off their playful rowdiness. 

“We need to brush our teeth and use the restroom before we lay down. Deal?” Fareeha gave a small nod but didn’t make any attempt at getting out of the bed, neither did Angela. It was an unspoken rule that the younger woman got priority when it came to using the washroom but if she waited too long the blonde made sure to take the lead. Sluggishly the medic untangled her limbs from the pile of warm blankets then proceeded to drag herself the short distance to the lavatory. Eventually Fareeha followed and staggered unevenly until she came to rest against cold metallic wall next to the sink. Without hesitation deft fingers plucked the younger woman’s toothbrush from the cup that held her own and added a different brand of toothpaste onto it before presenting it to the tall, Egyptian. Both women brushed in unison and maneuvered around each other effortlessly when it came time to spit and rinse, then repeated the process when Fareeha washed her face and the doctor flossed. 

The dance ended with both agents climbing back into bed on their respective sides, there was an exchange of pillows and a shifting of blankets but eventually the pair settled and quietly murmured goodnight wishes before burrowing down for the evening. A hush befell the small, sparsely decorated personal quarters which would have normally lulled the older woman to sleep especially with the comforting weight laying beside her, yet Angela stared out into the darkness of the room unable to shut out her thoughts. Zarya’s comments reverberated within the medic’s skull forming a small ache just behind her eyes. The implication that she and Fareeha could be closer than just friends still irritated her to a degree. It wasn’t the Russian’s place to blurt such things out yet that wasn’t the statement that kept pounding within her head. It was something else entirely; something that made the older woman coil up on her side gnashing her teeth together until her jaw throbbed. There was no way that she would let anyone come between her and her best friend. No one would ever steal Fareeha away, the very notion was infuriating yet left the blonde feeling powerless and somewhat unsure. 

“Are you still awake?” A shallow, husky voice whispered, the springs in the bed whined softly as the woman next to her shifted and moved slightly closer. 

“Ja.” Angela muttered in reply then rolled onto her side turning to face the shadowy figure she knew was Fareeha. Silence filled the space between the two women, it was intense and palpable, not entirely unpleasant but vastly different compared to the sensation they normally shared. In the darkness Angela made out the faintest sound of the younger woman swallowing nervously. 

“Do you still see me as a child,” Fareeha paused just long enough to take a shaky breath. “Sometimes it feels like everyone around me sees me as this lesser person. I’m a grown woman Angela, I’m just so tired of feeling like I’m this fragile little girl that everyone is trying to protect. I’m an adult capable of protecting myself and –” 

“You are my equal, Fareeha.” The statement came out hushed yet held such a power to it the taller woman tailed off and simply stared as a small hand cupped the side of her face. Angela closed the space between their bodies, pinning her mouth against that Fareeha’s. It would have been so easy to pull back and blame the darkness for altering a chaste peck on the forehead or cheek but that excuse faded away the more she gave into the sensation and deepened the kiss. The tiny, noises that Fareeha made and the tremble of her normally steady, strong hands coiling into her hair only encouraged the blonde more and made her far too bold. 

“All agents please report for line up! Repeat all agents please report for line up,” a booming, mechanical voice that belonged to Athena exclaimed from several speakers all at once, the loud metallic pitch vibrated off of the walls almost deafeningly. Angela could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage as she and Fareeha both bolted apart in a panic. “The emergency alarm will now sound until all personnel are accounted for in hanger one.” Both women glanced at each other and scrambled out of bed, training suddenly took over and Mercy and Pharah were ready for duty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, gals and non-binary pals! I would like to wish you all a very happy Pharmercy infused White Day <3 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to tumblr user: supershrimpcakes / Your art is more than just amazing, it is a gift to the fandom. If you've never checked out their work head on over to tumblr and take a look! Thank you Shrimp for being such a lovely person, I hope you enjoyed what you read.


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